The province's inspector general of policing is holding a news conference Monday morning to give an update on whether they will investigate the Toronto Police Service after seven of the force's officers and one former officer were arrested and are facing corruption charges. Ryan Teschner will begin the announcement at 10 a.m. and CBC News will stream it live in this story.
The inspector general, a relatively new arm's-length position tasked by the province with overseeing policing, was asked to investigate Thursday after eight current and retired Toronto officers were charged in an organized crime and corruption investigation. The case immediately raised questions about whether systemic issues contributed to organized crime's alleged infiltration of the ranks, said Kent Roach, a University of Toronto law professor and contributor to several high-profile police inquiries. Those questions, he said, are best answered by a civilian-led investigation.
Warren also detailed what she learned as she delved into the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the department and requested a broader investigation of the dismantling. Her effort included sending eight letters to the Education Department (ED) and a meeting with Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Warren said the department "largely failed to provide complete and transparent answers" in response to her letters.
Allen received notice of his termination from the White House after he made efforts to provide key information to prosecutors in that office, according to four sources. The information he turned over was constitutionally required, two of them said, while a third described it as being potentially relevant in discovery. His ouster also came about as he was preparing to send a letter to Congress notifying lawmakers that the FHFA was not cooperating with the inspector general's office, three of the sources said.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) released a 135-page report on Tuesday detailing allegations made against the former deputy police commissioner Jevon McSkimming and the police's response to them. In a separate matter, McSkimming last week pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual exploitation and bestiality material. Tuesday's IPCA report said that rather than investigating allegations made against McSkimming, the police used accusatory emails sent by the complainant, known as Ms Z, to charge her with sending harmful digital communications.
Inspector General Kevin H. Winters emphasized, "The sheer volume of employees who cavalierly participated in this scheme to steal Amtrak's funds suggests not only a serious lapse in basic ethics, but a troubling workforce culture..."