By Rianne Barnes, Special to The Voice
The Chatham-Kent Police Service has joined a province-wide partnership in the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet.
The strategy was created in response to the Ontario government’s request that police develop a province-wide approach to combat Internet crimes against children.
Chief Dennis Poole stated in a release, “The Strategy allows us to better partner and engage with Police Services in our region and indeed across the Province to assist each other in attempting to deal with borderless crime.”
The strategy aims to address all aspects of child sexual abuse and exploitation – from the outset of an investigation, to offender apprehension and management, effective prosecution and sentencing, victim identification and support, as well as prevention and awareness.
Prior to the provincial strategy, there was no mechanism in place for the coordination of intelligence, investigative support and information sharing.
“Although we have and will continue to actively promote preventative measures and educate the public about this issue, it also serves notice that our investigative abilities are now enhanced and it will provide a greater means for us to interdict individuals involved in the trafficking of child pornography and the sexual exploitation of children,” Poole added.
The OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit administers the provincial strategy and has formed a joint management team, consisting of senior officers from the OPP, 26 police services, and Ontario’s Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) and the Ministry of the Attorney General.
The joint unit originally consisted of 18 police services. In September 2014, funding for eight new additional services was approved by MCSCS. Chatham-Kent was among those eight additional services. MCSCS also funded 16 child victim computer forensic analysts to provide more complete coverage throughout Ontario.
