$188K from province to help fight sexual exploitation in Sudbury

The Greater Sudbury Police Services will be receiving a one-time grant of $188,000 to help combat sexual exploitation in the city.

Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault made the announcement today at Sudbury police headquarters.

The funds will be used primarily to hire a co-ordinator to administer theircounter-exploitation strategy, police said.

The money comes from the Civil Remedies Grant Program, which disperses funds, assets and property associated withcrime to victims and police services.

Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen said his front-line officers came up with the idea of applying to the provincial fund to help in their battle.

"We've got creative and innovative staff that come up with ideas on how we can make a strong application and how we can turn that into dollars we can put to use in our community," Pedersen said.

"If you ignore [sexual exploitation] you don't know it exists," he added. "And we're not ignoring it. We're bringing it out from behind the shadows and really holding people accountable."

Pedersen said in 2016 and 2017 there were 60 victims of human trafficking over the two year period, and seven people arrested.

Thibeault stressed that the funding for the program doesn't necessarily stem from crime, but is taken from individuals associated with crime.

It's an approach that so far has put $22.5 million back into the hands of police and victims services.

"Taking money from those individuals and putting it to good use and helping women and girls who have been part of human trafficking goes a long way in making sure we can provide those services...and pull them from any of these instances where they were," Thibeault said.