Developing an Evidence-Informed Police Response Tool for Missing Person Reports Linked to Human Trafficking
Melissa Elliott, MA; Lorna Ferguson, MA, PhD(c); Sin Kim & Alicia Murray | September 22 | 11:45 am-12:45 pm
Topic: Law Enforcement, International | Knowledge Level: Advanced
Concerns surrounding the Toronto Police Services (TPS) handling of missing persons occasioned the 2021 Independent Civilian Review into Missing Persons Investigations. This published 151 recommendations for improving police response to missing persons. Accordingly, the TPS Missing and Missed Implementation Team (MMIT) emerged to address these recommendations. One recommendation was establishing partnerships with researchers to generate evidence-informed practice and policy. While such partnerships are not new, they have not always generated anticipated outcomes. Historically, they have failed at the point of trust—the key to any successful collaboration. Nevertheless, MMIT formed valuable partnerships with academics, Elliott and Ferguson, specializing in missing persons and victimology. Together, the team led a study exploring the connection between missing persons and victimization to enhance police risk assessment. Informed by the study findings, the Review, and victimological theory, the team then developed a Response Assessment Tool that, monumentally, comprises evidence-informed vulnerability factors linked to missing persons, including human trafficking, 2SLGBTQIA+ identities, sex work, and beyond. This presentation outlines this Tool, detailing how it induces consistent and equitable policing, especially for vulnerable and marginalized groups. It focuses explicitly on how this Tool improves police response and case outcomes for missing persons linked to human trafficking, including the alliance between the MMIT and TPS Human Trafficking Unit’s Children at Risk of Exploitation (CARE). Attendees will leave this presentation armed with insights to improve policing with evidence-informed strategies, forge police-academic partnerships considering this positive representation, and advance scholarship on the areas needing attention regarding missing persons and human trafficking.
Presentation Objectives:
· Provide an overview of current international research on missing persons and human trafficking
· Explain the team members’ research project that explored the connection between missing persons and human trafficking in Canada and its key findings
· Demonstrate how the police-academic partnerships led to the translation of research findings into police practice and policy
· Outline how the police-academic partnerships led to the development of a police response tool that streamlines, enhances, and standardizes police handling of these cases and improves case outcomes