By Michael Sale
Deputy Chief of Police Kim Derry (retired, Toronto PD) was the first non-American to ascend to the position of president of the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA), a position he held in 2010.
During a decade of active participation with the FBINAA executive board, Kim championed and supported many new programs for the association including an academic alliance—in which American Military University is a very active participant—and the FBI National Academy Associates Charitable Foundation, which raises funds to support members in crisis, education scholarships, and research that advances the association’s support of law enforcement.
Kim travelled the world as an FBINAA ambassador and during that time, he was overwhelmed by what he learned about the current state of human trafficking and the degree to which human slavery continues to flourish in modern times.
What concerned Kim most of all was the extent to which various public and private sector organizations possessed information on human trafficking but were not sharing that information across disciplines. As a result, there was no coordinated approach to combating human trafficking.
Kim began formulating a way to change that. He envisioned the creation of an international resource and information center that would undertake the difficult challenge of gathering, analyzing, and sharing critical information that could enhance the responses of all organizations currently dealing with human trafficking.
The first step toward establishing this center was to hold an international summit on human trafficking that represented all sectors engaged in human trafficking strategies and programs. This summit would solicit ideas and recommendations from these parties regarding the development of a resource and information center as well as share best practices for human trafficking intervention programs.
This summit, Together Let’s Stop Traffick, took place in Ottawa, Canada on November 14-17. Many people wondered why Kim chose Ottawa, in November, as the site for the first international human trafficking summit. I’ve been wondering if the answer to that question connects with the fact that the people of Ottawa are renowned for their sense of community and the innovative ways in which they join together to address problems of all kinds. One good example of this Ottawa “spirit” might be found within the ranks of the Ottawa Coalition to End Human Trafficking. This diverse group of individuals and organizations within the National Capital Region has established an effective multi-agency model for managing human trafficking issues with precision and sophistication and their contribution to the larger, international objective is invaluable.
Now that a month has passed since the conclusion of the first international human trafficking summit, those delegates who participated have recovered from their labors and begun the task of dealing with next steps. The official website has been updated to include a glance back at the event and the process of preparing for a 2014 version of the summit is under way.
To keep everyone current and connected, the Together Let’s Stop Traffick Network group has been established on Linkedin. There is great anticipation that this new network will enhance communication as arrangements for the 2014 summit come together.
In the meantime, American Military University continues to expand its popular library website to serve as a repository for information and published works on human trafficking. Additionally, a course on human trafficking has been added to the criminal justice program (CMRJ401).
The year ahead promises to be an exciting time for those committed to the war on human trafficking and American Military University is well positioned to make a positive contribution to these efforts.
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