From Matt Baker, Superintendent, Calgary Police Service
Ongoing education is a constant in policing. No matter how many years we spend in the field, as the world changes, there is always more to learn to continue to protect the people we serve. That’s why our partnership with #NotInMyCity has become so valuable in supporting our ongoing response to human trafficking in Calgary. #NotInMyCity’s work in raising awareness, providing training, and collaborating across jurisdictions has helped the Calgary Police Service (CPS) sharpen skills in one of the most complex crimes that we face.
Sharpening Skills on the Front Line
At CPS, we have been looking into the connection between major sporting and entertainment events and a rise in human trafficking in host cities. While it’s difficult to measure, our insights suggest an increase in exploitation around large events: when thousands of people enter a city, the expectation for demand rises, and traffickers respond.
In spring 2025, with the summer event season approaching, we wanted to ensure our frontline patrol officers were prepared. We needed a timely refresher that accurately reflected what human trafficking looks like in Canada, and #NotInMyCity’s 30-minute e-learning course was exactly what we needed.
While officers complete a four-hour e-learning package when they join patrol, the additional e-learning course helped bring human trafficking back to the front of everyone’s minds before the kickoff to Stampede. Police officers are jacks-of-all-trades—and even with strong foundational training, well-timed refreshers make a difference.
Although it’s challenging to measure the direct impact of this education, we’ve seen a clear increase in referrals from patrol officers to Alberta’s human trafficking response teams since the course was taken. These referrals have led to identifying traffickers, recovering drugs and weapons, and strengthening cases. Over the past two years, our approach has shifted from reactive to increasingly proactive, driven largely by increased awareness among officers and the public.
Changing Perceptions of Human Trafficking in Canada
When I talk to people about human trafficking in Canada, I often find that what they picture doesn’t match reality. Many imagine dramatic kidnappings or organized crime rings operating in the shadows. While those situations do exist, most trafficking in Canada is far more subtle, more localized, and easier to overlook.
The #NotInMyCity e-learning course has helped change that perception by grounding the issue in real, Canadian contexts, and highlighting the complexities of trafficking situations, including the fact that some victims may not realize they are being trafficked—making identification and support even more challenging.
This kind of education has proven valuable across sectors, including law enforcement. While officers have long worked to support those affected, increased training and awareness have helped strengthen best practices and ensure a compassionate approach for victims.
Collaboration Across the Country
#NotInMyCity is not only driving awareness forward, but connecting law enforcement across the country. Canada’s national law enforcement operational summit on human trafficking, The Maddison Sessions, is powered by #NotInMyCity, and this annual conference has become a cornerstone of how we share experience, resources, and tactics between provinces.
Because of that collaboration:
- We are continuing to train with other police services on tackling the demand for commercial sex, including sharing strategies we have learned from the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
- Within Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton human trafficking teams now work more closely than ever, regularly sharing intelligence that helps us stay ahead of traffickers.
Awareness Matters More Than Ever
I want people in Calgary, and across Canada, to know that human trafficking is real, and it’s happening here. Right now, law enforcement teams across the country are working to combat trafficking and support and rescue victims. Education and awareness are the first line of defense against this crime, and organizations like #NotInMyCity help ensure that awareness reaches every officer, organization, and citizen who needs it.
To take the e-learning course, visit notinmycity.ca/learn/.
To learn more about how you can be an ally, and to stay tuned for future fundraising events, follow #NotInMyCity on Instagram or Facebook!
