Toronto police seek to strengthen ‘accountability’ following corruption probe involving officers

The chair of the Toronto Police Service Board and Chief of Police Myron Demkiw speak to the media on an investigation into corruption among its members.

The chair of the Toronto Police Service (TPS) Board says that Torontonians deserve “clear answers” after seven active and one retired member of the TPS were arrested in a corruption probe with links to organized crime.

Coun. Shelley Carroll made the comment at a meeting of the TPS board on Wednesday afternoon, nearly one month after a bombshell news conference where police laid out a series of allegations against the officers, including a murder plot targeting a manager at an Ontario correctional institution.

“Many in our city are concerned and are asking the hard questions, and they deserve clear answers,” Carroll said at Wednesday’s meeting.

“Trust in policing is foundational. It underpins public safety, community cooperation and the legitimacy of lawful authority, and that trust is built over decades, and it can be weakened very quickly. When concerns arise that call integrity into question, the response must be clear, it must be structured and it has to be sustained.”

At Wednesday’s meeting, TPS Chief Myron Demkiw presented the actions he has implemented within the service that are meant to “strengthen accountability and public trust” following “Project South.”

The investigation from York Regional Police revealed that several officers allegedly accessed confidential information to facilitate the murder plot, took bribes, and protected illegal cannabis dispensaries for drug traffickers.

• READ MORE: Toronto cops accused of leaking info to ‘key’ organized crime figure in corruption probe

“Over the past month, I personally addressed senior leadership, both civilian and sworn, and I clearly articulated expectations, standards of conduct and the organizational path forward,” Demkiw told the board Wednesday.

“We’ve already strengthened supervision where needed, and this work will continue across the service. We also committed to expanding our professional standards unit.”

The report before the board stated that the chief is starting two “corporate projects” that are expected to be in place for two years: the “Chief’s Anti-Corruption Project” and “One TPS Project.”

“The Anti-Corruption Project will strengthen oversight, accountability and professional standards, and because we know that oversight and organizational changes only go so far if they aren’t paired with a strong professional culture, we have to look at culture too,” Demkiw said.

“This is where the One TPS Project comes in. Its goal will include looking at ways to strengthen our professional culture in a positive way, in making sure our ethical standards are upheld collectively across all ranks and rules.”

The projects will be staffed by small teams made up of uniform and civilian members of TPS.

“We don’t think that this can wait, the board doesn’t, and the service doesn’t,” Carroll said after Wednesday’s meeting. “If there are improvements, we need to make them now to close the loop.”

Demkiw agreed with Carroll, saying there is a sense of “urgency.”

“We know, from the past, when we take actions to support our members with good governance, good supervision, good coaching and mentoring, we have different outcomes in their day to day work... We’ll continue to build on that kind of work going forward, and it will bring positive results.”

Ontario’s inspector general of policing confirmed last month that he would be conducting an independent inquiry into police corruption in the province due to the revelations from Project South.

“What is challenging, and I think unprecedented here, is that what you’re going to see is the criminal proceedings taking place at the same time the service and the board are looking for the improvements they can make now and in real time,” Carroll explained.

“It’s important that people remember that (the Inspectorate of Ontario’s) review... results not in recommendations that we can pick and choose from. It results in directions, directions that must be followed... So there will be actions taken, because they will be required under the law.”

The Law Enforcement Complaints Agency, the province’s independent civilian oversight agency dealing with police misconduct complaints, is also conducting its own investigation.

With files from CP24’s Bryann Aguilar and Joshua Freeman