The discovery of human remains on a farm near Salmon Arm has rattled women working in the Okanagan鈥檚 sex trade.
RELATED: RCMP speak at Silver Creek farm
There are currently five women missing from the Vernon-Shuswap area, and while police have not made a public connection to the farm and the missing women, fears are rising.
A mother in Vernon told the Morning Star she was asked to provide a DNA sample to police to help with her missing daughter鈥檚 case, although claimed it was unrelated to the Silver Creek farm search.
RELATED: Family of missing Vernon woman provides DNA
Whether or it or isn鈥檛 won鈥檛 change much for those women who are in a vulnerable position.
鈥淭he girls on the street know the girls who are missing and they鈥檙e concerned, but they鈥檝e always been concerned about what鈥檚 been happening,鈥� said Angie Lohr, of HOPE Outreach, an organization that brings night-time care to vulnerable women in 麻豆精选 and Vernon.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 anything new. It happens every freaking day. These girls are beat on every day. They鈥檙e abused every day and they鈥檙e murdered every day.鈥�
Curtis Sagmoen is currently in custody related to an incident stemming from Aug. 27 and is connected to the property currently being searched by police.
RELATED: Who is Curtis Sagmoen
He is charged with the following: disguising face with the intent to commit offence, intentionally discharging a firearm while reckless, uttering threats, careless use or storage of a firearm, possessing a weapon for dangerous purpose and possession of controlled substance.
On Oct. 13, Vernon RCMP reported they were investigating an Okanagan man in relation to an alleged incident involving threats made to a woman. Police said they initially responded to the incident on Aug. 28.
RELATED: Man in custody linked to Silver Creek property
Lohr said it鈥檚 wonderful that one woman was brave enough to speak up when a meet-up went dangerously awry, which possibly led to the discovery on the rural property. But she wants to know why more wasn鈥檛 done to protect others who were on the street between then and now.
鈥淲hy didn鈥檛 the RCMP say there was a safety concern in August?鈥� she said. 鈥淲hy did they wait three more weeks? What鈥檚 being done to safeguard these women?鈥�
Lohr said she knows the RCMP are busy, but suspects that issues with sex trade workers fall to the bottom of the pile all too often.
It鈥檚 why Lohr goes out with her army of volunteers every night and provides harm reduction kits and an occasional shoulder to cry on.
Concerns around this vulnerable population have also earned the attention of 麻豆精选 tech company YodelMe that鈥檚 created an app that allows people to stay in touch, regardless of where they are, through satellite signals.
鈥淭hey contacted HOPE Outreach and they鈥檙e going to do a pilot project with us,鈥� said Lohr, explaining they鈥檝e yet to launch it, but it will be free once its done.
鈥淚n my past in the sex trade I would have used it. I would have been excited about it,鈥� she said.
Greg ter Wolbeek, business development manager for YodelMe said he learned about HOPE Outreach through a news article and said that he immediately thought their app could help and brought the idea back to his team, who agreed.
鈥淓ssentially it鈥檚 a safety tool developed originally for the oil patch to keep workers connected and safe,鈥� he said.
Its been up and running for six months in the oil patch and there was also a pilot project done with BC Wildfire.
Whether it will work with vulnerable women remains to be seen, but ter Wolbeek said it鈥檚 worth a try.
鈥淚f something goes wrong, you press emergency, and then you will be geotagged,鈥� he said, adding the system can be accessed anywhere in the world.
