Fight against human trafficking in Ottawa gets $200K boost

An Ottawa agency fighting human trafficking is getting $200,000 from the federal government to find out where the city's most vulnerable neighbourhoods are.

For the next two years, Persons Against the Crime of Trafficking in Humans will be using the funds to canvas neighbourhoods and find out where girls and women are most likely to be caught up in the sex trade.

The aim is to come up with a strategy to prevent it from happening.

An advisory committee will include local girls and women as well as representatives of Ottawa police, Crime Prevention Ottawa and St. Joe's Women's Centre.

At the Monday morning funding announcement, the agency said girls who have little education or family support are often targetted for sexual exploitation.

They can be taken advantage of over time, and then become too afraid to come forward to police.

The results of the two-year project, which starts immediately, are expected to be implemented when the two years are up.