CANADA SEEKING BETTER TIP DATA COLLECTION

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000188 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/HSTC (HALL),G/TIP (FLECK),WHA/CAN JUSTICE FOR OJP (BANKS, BACHAR, BECK) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KTIP ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PHUM SMIG CA SUBJECT: CANADA SEEKING BETTER TIP DATA COLLECTION REF: A. OTTAWA 151 ¶B. OTTAWA 96 ¶C. 08 OTTAWA 1072 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Canada wishes to improve its Trafficking In Persons (TIP) data collection system and seeks to learn in an upcoming visit (see para 6) about the USG's best practices. Its existing system clearly does not yet capture all trafficking cases within the criminal justice system, making accurate reporting difficult. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The Canadian Center for Justice Statistics (CCJS),a government-run unit with funding from the Department of Public Safety but under the national statistics agency, is examining the feasibility of developing a national TIP data collection framework. According to CCJS project leader Lucie Ogrodnik, Canada currently collects its TIP data through a variety of agencies and databases; a more efficient national data collection system would not only enable the government to improve its own anti-TIP performance but also facilitate provision of more accurate input to the State Department's TIP report and UN bodies. Ogrodnik noted that Canada had been especially focused on collecting accurate TIP data since 2005, when the Criminal Code was amended to include TIP offenses. ¶3. (SBU) As noted in the 2008 draft TIP report on Canada (ref a),CCJS collects annual police-reported crime statistics, including TIP cases, through a Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR2). CCJS also obtains case information through an Adult Criminal Court Survey (ACCS),a national database tabulating appearances, charges, and cases in adult criminal provincial and superior courts. The government has acknowledged that the CCJS, UCR2, and ACCS data likely do not represent all trafficking cases in the criminal justice system. Another problem is that the nature of charges may change to or away from TIP during the pre-court or court stages. ¶4. (SBU) Beginning in March 2008, CCJS sent TIP questionnaires to over 90 Canadian stakeholders, including government agencies (the Interdepartmental TIP Working Group),law enforcement entities, academics, and NGOs. Questions covered data collection methods, gaps in knowledge, scope (provincial, national, international),level of analysis, and units of measurement. Since December 2008, CCJS has been discussing information-sharing and obstacles to data collection with stakeholders. ¶5. (SBU) The government now hopes either to develop a national TIP data collection framework or to modify existing products for more comprehensive coverage. Ogrodnik noted that the Canada Border Services Agency already has a standard form for collecting data on smuggling, which could be adapted specifically for TIP. CCJS is considering designing a form that NGOs could use to report suspected TIP cases. The Department of Public Safety also provides funding for a hotline for suspected TIP cases run by the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association (refs b and c) as well as a five-year program to combat child sexual exploitation on the Internet. ¶6. (SBU) Ogrodnik plans directly to contact counterparts in the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center (HSTC) to learn about the USG's best practices on TIP data collection as possible models for Canada. She is a valued and knowledgeable interlocutor for emboffs, and has made Qand knowledgeable interlocutor for emboffs, and has made significant contributions to our annual TIP reports. Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BREESE