Policing inspector general announces province-wide corruption investigation

The Inspector General of Policing of Ontario, Ryan Teschner, announced at a Monday press conference that he will be conducting an independent probe into police corruption throughout the province.

Techner said he will be appointing an external person for the investigation so the person can remain focused on the task.

He said it is common for corruption to spread to other police forces and it will launch a deep dive into all 45 of Ontario’s police services and their boards’ capabilities to, “prevent, detect, respond to, and fortify their organizations against corruption.”

“Although this issue originated with the Toronto Police Service, we have since learned that other organizations may be impacted,” said Teschner.

This comes after eight current and retired Toronto-area officers were charged in an investigation dubbed Project South. In total, the York regional police probe saw 27 individuals arrested.

Teschner said he will appoint someone from outside his police watchdog organization, to conduct the probe independently, with the finished report and any directives made as a result, being made public.

“We’re not looking at individual conduct,” said Teschner. “What we are looking at are the systems in place and whether those systems need to be strengthened.”

WATCH MORE: Seven Toronto police officers, retired cop charged in organized crime probe

Project South revealed alleged bribery, conspiracy to commit murder and drug trafficking, among other offences.

York police have accused Toronto officers of assessing and leaking personal information to an organized crime group. It is alleged that the group would then carry out shootings, extortions and robberies.

The independent investigation had been requested by Toronto police and the police board following the corruption probe.

Toronto’s police chief and the police service board have asked the inspector general to look into issues including supervision, recruitment screening and access to databases.

A York regional police investigation alleges Toronto officers accessed personal information and provided it to people who then carried out crimes, including shootings, extortions and robberies.

“Serious allegations that have struck at the trust people place in their police services,” said Teschner.

Two more Toronto police officers have since been suspended in connection with the alleged crimes, and Peel Regional Police revealed Friday it has suspended three officers pending further investigation by York police.

READ MORE: Here are all the Toronto officers charged in a corruption and organized crime probe

Teschner is recommending the investigation not aim to root out individual actions, but rather look into whether systems such as those for recruitment and access to IT systems are strong enough and recommend sector-wide improvements.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she welcomes the province-wide investigation in a statement, “I want answers on how corruption could occur and continue undetected, and the systemic changes the Toronto Police Service must make to prevent this from happening again.”

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police also said they welcome the probe.

“To have an honest look, an internal look in their own organizations to ensure we are meeting the high standard that our community members deserve,” said the president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Mark Campbell.

“I see this as an opportunity to strengthen what is already a very strong system, but one that obviously has exposed some weaknesses and we’re going to identify what those are,” said the first vice president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Peter Moreira.

Police associations’ responses to the probe

Late Monday afternoon, the Toronto Police Association responded to the probe, expressing serious concern.

In a letter to Teschner they said in part, “we are concerned that the Inspector General’s review is overly broad as these allegations are limited to an extremely small number of individuals…we will do everything in our power to avoid a systemic rush to judgement.”

Also responding to the probe, the Niagara Region Police Association said in a statement to CHCH News, “We appreciate that oversight and transparency are essential to public trust and we will be open to considering any recommendations that may come from this review. Having said that, we think that it is essential to note that there is no evidence of widespread corruption in Ontario.”

Hamilton’s Police Association told CHCH News, “Our members are dedicated, hard-working professionals who serve our community with pride and integrity. We fully support our members and recognize the importance of independent and transparent oversight.”

The inspector general did not say how soon the provincial-wide probe will be completed, only that he understands it needs to be done “swiftly.”

Meanwhile, Toronto’s police chief announced Monday that he is seeking suspension without pay for six of the seven officers charged.

READ MORE: Here are all the Toronto officers charged in a corruption and organized crime probe