Blood Tribe Police appoint first Indigenous Human Trafficking Coordinator

May 7, 2022 | 5:24 PM

STANDOFF, AB — The Blood Tribe Police Service has announced the creation of an Indigenous Policing Service-based Human Trafficking Coordinator position.

It’s the first role of its kind in Canada. Senior Constable Jennaye Norris is the new Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Blood Tribe Police Service. Norris says she took action when she saw a need for this type of position.

“There’s definitely a need on the reserve, as there is everywhere in Canada,” says Norris. “This crime isn’t new. However, it’s kind of new to the policing world on how police investigate these files. It’s been kind of brought to my attention through criminal intelligence on the Blood Reserve, and since there has been intelligence given to the Blood Tribe Police Service, I felt it was extremely necessary to start up a program and have one of our officers trained thoroughly in human trafficking so that when this intel comes in, then we know how to approach it, how to help the victims, and how to investigate these files appropriately.”

The creation of this role is part of a broader initiative called ‘Project Kokomi-Kisomm Aakii’, which means Project Moon Woman. Norris has already started working with the community to develop a Blackfoot-based service delivered through Project Moon Woman. She says the coordinator role is just the beginning of the program.

“The creation of it is just the start of it,” says Norris. “With the new Chief of Police coming in this past January, I went and I met with him, told him how I felt the needs were for a human trafficking position, and he was completely on board with it. [He] supported me, sent me to the training, and now this program is launching. It’s the first Indigenous human trafficking program for any police service in Canada.”

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The Human Trafficking Coordinator role will take a three-pillar approach in the community, which will include awareness and education, training front-line police officers, and investigations themselves.

“Now the next step would be to educate the community as to what human trafficking is, what the indicators are,” says Norris, “and then once the knowledge is out there, then once information starts coming in to the police service, then we can start investigating these files.”

Norris believes this type of role will help reduce the number of human trafficking cases in Southern Alberta, and she hopes these types of programs will be introduced at policing organizations across the country.

“That’s definitely our hope, and we’re more than happy to help other Indigenous services follow in our footsteps,” says Norris.

The Project Moon Woman initiative was announced this week as part of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People in Canada.

by Cathy Gibson