Ontario-wide probe on police corruption ordered amid Toronto fallout

Ontario’s inspector general of policing is launching a review of the province’s police services and boards amid accusations of corruption within Toronto police.

Ryan Teschner announced the probe at a news conference Monday, days after York Regional Police charged seven active Toronto police officers and one retired Toronto officer in their investigation, dubbed Project South, which looked into organized crime and corruption.

The allegations against those officers include bribery, obstruction of justice, drug trafficking, theft of personal property, breach of trust and the unauthorized access and distribution of confidential information.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

A day after those accusations sent shockwaves through the region, Peel Regional Police suspended three officers pending further investigation by York Regional Police.

“If there are vulnerabilities within the systems currently in place in Ontario’s policing sector, or in the standards that it must adhere to, it is essential that they are identified so meaningful, system-wide improvements can be made,” Teschner said.

“This provincewide inspection will be conducted under the authority of Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act, the province’s policing legislation, and it will focus on five defined areas with the ability to examine additional ones as the inspection unfolds.”

Teschner said those five areas are officer supervision and span of control, screening and vetting of officers, access to police databases and information systems, evidence and property management, and substance abuse and fitness for duty.

More to come.