VZCZCXRO5659
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0188 0692058
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 102058Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9196
INFO RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

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