Intimate partner violence and human trafficking are an "epidemic" in Prince George, says Mayor Simon Yu in a report to council.
Yu asked councillors to support the idea of joining the B.C. Human Trafficking Prevention Network during council's Monday, July 22 meeting.
In the report, Yu notes that the city's standing committee on intergovernmental affairs has been exploring the issue for several months, and his goal is "to provide council with opportunities to enhance the municipality's role as a partner in fighting human trafficking and raise awareness on related issues."
The report states that logistics at the committee level meant the request had to be filed as a mayor's report.
Council will be asked Monday to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic. In his motion, Yu notes that 20,000 women a year experience intimate partner violence in B.C., and also that the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime states men in
Canada experience intimate partner violence in significant numbers, yet little attention has been paid to their needs.
"The City of Prince George has an opportunity to use our voice to support work that draws attention to these issues," the mayor's report states. "If we choose to make such a declaration, we can also reach out to our colleagues in local government and ask that they consider doing the same to increase the impact."
Council approved a draft motion to declare an epidemic and signed the statement of support to join the B.C. Human Trafficking Prevention Network.
B.C.'s Human Trafficking Prevention Network was founded on Feb. 22 (National Human Trafficking Awareness Day) with the goal of collaborating with partners to take actions to stop the spread of human trafficking.
“This includes raising awareness about trafficking, educating ourselves about the issue and impacts, and connecting with one another to share ideas and inspire action," states the report.
If Prince George signs on, it would be the first B.C. municipality to do so, the report states.
"We would be delighted to welcome City of Prince George into the network," reads a statement from the network included in Yu's report package. "Prince George has the opportunity, we believe, to be the first municipality in British Columbia to step up
and join the network. In doing so we will have better access to information that can contribute to this important work in the region and input into the provincial network."
The network is set to convene once a year in Vancouver, on or around Feb. 22, to share updates and information and to highlight actions taken by network members.
"This year we are undertaking a systems analysis of human trafficking in B.C. (including gaps in services, education, enforcement etc.) to understand the current lay of the land and to inform the activities of the network in the years to come," the network states.
