The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) are joining the community and fighting against human trafficking, not with a kevlar vest, but with a bike and a helmet. 

Ride for Refuge, the annual bike ride in support of various organizations against human trafficking, is coming up on Saturday. Police officers will be at the event, not patrolling, but participating.

"It's no secret that police officers have always been heavily involved in work involving charity," said Deputy Chief of Operations Gord Perrier. 

The WPS have joined Ride for Refuge for the first time as a partner team, raising money for the Joy Smith Foundation and their work to combat human trafficking in Canada.

Perrier says his officers approached him and asked if they could get involved with a charity that connected to the work that they did. They chose human trafficking and found Ride for Refuge.

"We all have little stories of where (human trafficking) became a poignant point," Perrier said about the reason human trafficking was chosen.

WPS' Deputy Chief shared his connection to human trafficking. After a particularly difficult case, Perrier thought it was all done. But years later, the women involved called in a panic after her house had been broken into. She believed the trafficker was back and was coming to get her.

"Even when that occurs, there's lots more that needs to happen with individuals," Perrier reflected. "We know we can't arrest our way out of (this)." 

Perrier believes that joining up with a program like this to support a charity such as the Joy Smith Foundation confirms the WPS' need for these organizations in the fight against human trafficking.

Even though the group entered late, the public has jumped right alongside to support the team. WPS is currently the number one team in Winnipeg, their $27,461 raised more than double the second place team. The top three individual fundraisers are all police officers, including Perrier himself. WPS is second in all of Canada for money raised.

Although Perrier is the captain of the team, he says this was never a single person effort.

"It's a huge team effort and I'm really proud of that team," he insisted. "I've been really impressed by the broader community."

Even though the ride has not happened in 2018, the police are already looking forward to next year and are encouraged by the public's reaction and response.

The Winnipeg leg of the Ride for Refuge is on Saturday, September 29, with registration opening at 9:00 a.m. at Covenant Christian Reformed Church. As of September 25, Winnipeg had 438 registered participants and had raised 75 per cent of their financial goal.