Province to investigate police corruption in Ontario

Lee Griffi, Editor

Ontario’s most powerful police bureaucrat confirmed Monday he is conducting an independent inspection of police corruption in the province. The move comes after eight current and former Toronto police officers were charged in Project South, a massive corruption investigation.

The inspection will evaluate the effectiveness of police services, police service boards, and the Ontario Provincial Police in preventing, detecting, responding to, and fortifying their organizations from corruption.

“Anytime anything like this happens, it affects everybody. It’s a strike at the heart of the public trust we have in the community,” said Woodstock Police Chief Nick Novacich. “I think we are welcome to any type of review to ensure we maintain the public’s trust. This is a transparent, open way for us to look locally at our policies and procedures to make sure nothing gets missed.”

Despite the deflating news of the arrests, the chief said the men and women of the WPS continue to work hard for the residents of the city.

“They are out there 24 hours a day, still coming to work and doing the best they can for the public. We do not get a lot of police complaints for the interactions our officers have. We had over 25,000 calls for service last year, and we may have had a dozen complaints.”

Novacich pointed out there has been no corrective action taken as a result of any complaint against his officers.

“I have to support them. When something like that happens in the city, some people will paint us with the same brush. We need to earn people’s trust every day and it is always a step back when something like this happens.”

Ryan Teschner, inspector general of policing in Ontario, said corruption often spreads to other police forces.

“Effective policing depends on public confidence. Ontarians must have assurance that our policing system is able to maintain the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. Strong systems of vetting, oversight, accountability, and standards are essential—they enable police officers to earn and preserve public trust and are foundational to safe communities and effective policing in Ontario,” said Teschner. “Protecting the public is at the core of policing. The results of this inspection will help the sector deliver safe, effective and trustworthy policing for the people of Ontario.”

The Ontario Provincial Police would not grant the Echo an interview but did provide a statement.

“Police officers are not only subject to the same laws as the public, but they are also held to higher standards due to the authorities and responsibilities entrusted to them,” said spokesperson Gosia Puzio. “It is essential that all officers carry out their duties with integrity and professionalism. We support the inspector general’s review and, if we receive any requests from his office, we will cooperate fully.”

The inspection will look at five key areas:

• Supervision and span of control, including how officers are supervised and how effective that supervision is

• Screening and vetting of officers, both at recruitment and on an ongoing basis as they move through their careers

• Access to police databases and information systems

• Evidence and property management

• Substance abuse and fitness for duty

Teschner did not provide a timeline for the report but promised that it would be transparent and released publicly when complete.

Novacich admitted he was surprised to see the substance abuse and fitness for duty part of the investigation.

“Were there people with addiction issues who were a part of this? Were they impaired on duty, or is there a mental health component? I’d like to know more context as to what they are looking for.”

While the chief does not know any more than the general public, he remains committed to being proactive and examining processes through a quality improvement lens.

“We’re going to look at our internal policies and procedures on all five of those areas and the vetting process for recruitment. We have policies in place as to what the steps are for what people have to go through to get hired.”

He added there is always room for improvement when it comes to who has access to what databases and different authority levels to get into different areas.

“Our evidence and property management is always under review by doing audits to make sure we are following best practices and guidelines.

The inspection will cover all 45 police forces in the province and will be conducted by an independent inspector appointed under the authority of Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act. The person who will lead the investigation has not yet been appointed.

“I think that there are some very qualified people right here in Ontario, and so I’m giving some immediate thought to who that may be,” Teschner said.

He was appointed in 2023 as Ontario’s first Inspector General of Policing with duties and authorities under the Community Safety and Policing Act.