Identifying Child Exploitation (I.C.E. ) Program

Child exploitation can be defined as “the use of a young person for the purpose of meeting an adult’s sexual needs, which may or may not involve an exchange of money.”

The Abbotsford Police Department collaborates with Abbotsford Community Services (A.C.S.) in providing services to children and youth who are considered to be at extreme risk for sexual exploitation. The Abbotsford Police Department and ACS acknowledge that there are many forms of sexual exploitation, which include, but is not limited to the following:

  • shelter or food motivated
  • illegal and/or non-prescription drug motivated
  • family supported
  • peer supported
  • boyfriend/girlfriend supported
  • commercial enterprise motivated

The I.C.E. Program is a program initiated by the Abbotsford Police Department and strongly supported by A.C.S. with the goal of providing better monitoring and support of children who are suspected of being at extreme risk for sexual exploitation. By having an I.C.E. Coordinator responsible for children placed into this program, police are better able to track children and keep a coordinated and consistent response beneficial to the child, the child’s caregivers and other interested community partners.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the I.C.E. Program, the child must satisfy three (3) core criteria:

  1. must be suspected or known to be sexually active
  2. be nineteen (19) years of age or younger
  3. reside in, or frequent, the City of Abbotsford

In addition to the three (3) aforementioned core criteria, the child must also satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

  •  is suspected or known to use illegal and/or non-prescription drugs
  •  is suspected or known of originating from a dysfunctional family dynamic
  • is suspected or known to associate with peers that could be categorized as “known to the police”
  • is suspected or known to have engaged in criminal activity
  • is suspected or known to entertain inappropriate relationships with adults
  • is suspected or known to be in a relationship which could constitute an offence under s. 153(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada – Sexual Exploitation
  • is suspected or known to suffer from a mental health disorder

Registration

Children that are candidates for the I.C.E. program must have two (2) forms completed and signed before they are admitted into the program.  The first form is an application form which will provide the police with the child’s background.  The second form is a waiver form authorizing any information pertaining to that child to be shared with other police agencies. The two forms are provided in pdf form below.

I.C.E. Coordinator
Constable Angela Scott - Youth Squad Officer
Phone: (604) 217-6632