The Sarnia Police Service says it is actively monitoring human trafficking hot spots in the city.
The department recently released information to help educate the community on the topic, hoping red flags are identified to prevent human trafficking from happening, or to aid victims and survivors.
Constable John Sottosanti said although boys and men are at risk, women and girls are disproportionately impacted, and in Canada 95 percent of victims and survivors are women and girls.
"Sarnia-Lambton is not immune to human trafficking," said Sottosanti. "It does happen. It happens everywhere across Canada and the world and it's not always simply the smuggling of humans across borders and such. In this case we're really emphasizing our young people and we want them to be protected from being groomed into human trafficking."
While specific grooming actions are not always the same, Cst. Sottosanti said they usually follow the same steps.
"The trafficker gains the person's trust, tries to provide for the victim's needs, tries to isolate the victim from their family and friends and then unfortunately the end result is usually forced labour or sexual exploitation," he said.
Cst. Sottosanti said it's a good idea to monitor your child's social media, especially if they're under the age of 12.
"As much good as social media brings, it also brings bad. A lot of these exploiters, human traffickers, whatever you wish to call them, use social media as their means to meet people online. They may set up fake accounts, propose different things, and that's what basically lures these individuals into being trafficked in the end."
Cst. Sottosanti said that's why parents and guardians need to be extra vigilant.
"Know who they're talking to. Sit down and have a conversation with them just to make them aware. We're not saying to ban social media, but we are saying to keep an eye out and take care of your loved ones."
Sottosanti said Ontario accounts for more than two thirds of the reported human trafficking in Canada.
"There are hot spots in town where these people are going, where people that are being trafficked are being used and we are monitoring those areas and working with the individuals to ensure their safety. It's hard, because a lot of times they're not as cooperative. That's another element to human trafficking, is that they may say to us, 'I'm fine, leave me alone'. Sometimes maybe it is true, other times it's purely out of fear."
Cst. Sottosanti said most victims and survivors are under the age of 35, and 43 per cent are between the ages of 18 and 24-years-old.
"We're working hand-in-hand with the Sexual Assault Survivors Center and other organizations to make sure the message gets out. Obviously, we're not the only people that deal with this, but we're part of a whole entourage of groups that are trying to ensure that our young people, and other people, are not taken advantage of."
Sottosanti said if you see signs that an individual is being trafficked, you can contact Sarnia police and officers will look into the matter further to either verify the information or see if they can help resolve the issue.
The Sexual Assault Survivor Centre has expanded its youth-specific human trafficking referral program to include individuals under the age of 16.
If you or someone you know are a victim or survivor of human trafficking, you are encouraged to reach out to Sarnia police by calling 911 (emergency) or 519-344-8861 (non-emergency) or the Sexual Assault Survivors Center at 519-337-3154, 1-888-231-0539 (toll-free) or 519-332-3320 (24/7 crisis line.)