Final discussion

This project sought to provide up-to-date trauma- and violence-informed research and tools currently in use to assist Canadian police agencies with investigations of human trafficking. It also aimed to identify promising practices that have arisen in working with victims of human trafficking in Canada. The project consisted of a literature review and semi-structured interviews with police investigators across Canada. The literature review showed that each victim has their own route into human trafficking. The relationship between perpetrator and victim can be a dynamic one, consisting of a combination of emotional and romantic involvement as well as coercion and physical abuse, sometimes referred to as trauma-coerced attachment. Victims that experience this traumatic bond suffer emotional, physical, and mental harm, which often impacts their safety and well-being. Victims with this bond are more likely to return to the perpetrator or sex-trafficking environment, making it difficult for police officers to see a case through to the ideal conclusion.

It is important to consider how police officers respond to disclosures of trafficking-related crimes because the way they respond can easily influence the victim’s self-perceptions and emotional responses. A supportive environment during disclosures is essential, and victims will use cues such as fairness to determine whether they trust authorities to act in their best interest. When victims do not receive support, validation, and reassurances, their stress will remain elevated. Confidence in the police will also improve the odds that victims will return for help if they are re-victimized.

Many leaders in the field of human trafficking urge investigators new to human trafficking investigations to avoid treating victims in the same way they would treat other types of victims. They advocate patience, listening, and investing up-front time to build rapport and appreciate how human-trafficking victims are qualitatively different. It is far too easy to have well-intentioned officers robotically investigate human trafficking incidents, only to do more harm than good. Following process is not the same as building rapport. Just as not all officers have the mindset or attributes to work in a specialized units (e.g., tactical, computer crime, or forensic identification), not all officers are the right fit for human-trafficking investigators.

Victims who are highly traumatized may suffer neuropsychiatric symptoms, which can interfere with cognition and memory. To the untrained, fragments and memory lapses can easily be interpreted as dishonesty. Officials who do not understand the effects of trauma can revictimize the victim and erode their confidence in the entire criminal justice system.

When officers recognize that a victim is anxious, they can take steps to bring the person back to the present moment using grounding techniques. Breathing exercises and calming music can also be used to reduce stress and anxiety.

Prior to interviewing victims, officers are advised to learn as much as possible about the victim’s circumstances. Building rapport helps relieve some of the social demands of the interview, and it can improve the victim’s cognitive processing (e.g., reduce cognitive load). Officers who have difficulty building rapport can use the Tickle-Degnen and Rosenthal model, which focuses on three essential ingredients: (1) mutual attention, (2) positivity, and (3) coordination. When (and only when) the time to conduct a formal interview presents itself, the cognitive interview technique is the gold standard.

Interviews of police agents actively engaged in human-trafficking investigations examined five key themes (i.e., insight and experience, investigative techniques, trauma-informed perspective, response protocols, and emerging trends). Interviewees were clear that successful human-trafficking units start with the selection of investigators with the necessary soft skills (i.e., empathy and sincerity). Traditional criminal justice responses are considered outdated and often counterproductive in policing human-trafficking cases.

Once human-trafficking victims see an officer as a person, instead of a uniform, other preconceptions can be dismantled. It is important to look beyond differences that often divide (i.e., race, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status) and to treat human-trafficking clients like human beings. Start with a conversation, participants advised; adhering to a protocol or checklist typically comes across as insincere. Interpersonal skills, empathy, and a deep appreciation for what is at stake for victims are fundamental to successful human-trafficking investigations, and they are notoriously hard to script.

There is no one interview technique that can used for meeting a client for the first time. Rapport-building and laying a foundation for trust are more important than processing a file. When a statement is to be taken, however, most investigators use a modified version of the cognitive interview technique. Gaps and contradictions in victim stories are then corroborated by other means (e.g., speaking with other victims, data from crime analysts).

Recognizing the impact of trauma, the very real danger exploited individuals face, and the risk that traditional investigative approaches can unintentionally inflict more harm, investigators prioritize helping victims exit the trafficking situation over catching criminals. Disrupting trafficking is a longer-term goal, but respondents felt that without a robust team, investigators will only be able to provide safety and security for victims and not in-depth investigations leading to Criminal Code convictions.

Enlisting previous victims to communicate with current victims is a recent promising strategy, albeit unconventional. It is important to note that an embedded victim in a human-trafficking team should not be considered as a replacement to building and relying on strategic partnerships with other partners. Developing connections with non-profit organizations that serve people in the sex trade is important because they often have mentoring services with previous victims as volunteers or paid workers. They also provide wrap-around services such as housing, child-care, substance abuse support, counselling, life-skills training, income support, employment and education support, and more.Footnote 6

Investigators stated it was unrealistic to get victims out of their situation after a single interaction with even a highly functional human-trafficking team. Typically, a win was perceived as simply having a conversation with a victim. Investigators were advised to build credibility and trust by telling victims they are not alone and sharing other stories of success. Patience is critical, and it could take months or much longer to build relationships. Empowering the victim to make decisions that are best for their healing, without discouraging their involvement or assuming to know what is best for them, all starts with a conversation. Without a conversation, participants warned, police officers cannot build the trust necessary to help victims or disrupt this industry in a meaningful way.

Investigators are also advised to dress to blend in and to remain away from police buildings. Partnerships are important, but they need to be selected strategically, and then services need to be carefully provided to the victim.

Lastly, despite the resilience and strength of many communities within Canada, generational trauma, systemic barriers, racism, and sexism present ongoing and evolving challenges. One underlying concern is that although police may not intend to be offensive or counterproductive, the traditional approach they follow to investigate human-trafficking incidents may have that effect. Police have the responsibility to understand how practices and beliefs from years ago still impact perceptions and reality today. The lived experiences of those who have been trafficked is especially challenging to navigate. Human-trafficking victims are not exclusive to one group and include individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds (e.g., cultural, socio-economic, race, and gender).

It is broadly recognized that human trafficking is a serious problem in Canadian communities that has long-term physical, mental, social, and economic consequences for victims, their families, and the community. The addition of trauma can necessitate non-traditional flexible investigative strategies. As part of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (2019-2024), this report provides an update on the most current strategies used by investigators in the field and is intended to improve the overall responses of law enforcement agencies to this national priority.