Durham Region’s local council is advocating for the disclosure of a six-year inquiry into its police force regarding allegations of misconduct, harassment, and abuse of power. Despite this, no entities in the region claim to have the authority to release the report.
The investigation conducted by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) into the Durham Regional Police Service was completed in July, but the findings were only shared with the DRPS, the police board, and Ontario’s solicitor general. Sterling Lee, regional counselor for the Town of Ajax, emphasized the importance of sharing any investigation findings related to potential police corruption with the public to restore trust in the police force.
In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the council urged the province to make the report on the investigation public. The motion, which was approved, calls on the premier, solicitor general, attorney general, Durham Police Board, and Durham MPPs to release both the findings and recommendations.
Lee mentioned that both the police board and Durham police chief Peter Moreira expressed agreement with the council’s stance that the report should be publicly disclosed for transparency. However, the police board informed the council that the release of the report must come from the OCPC, which ceased operations on September 1 following the enactment of the Community Safety and Policing Act last April.
The Ontario solicitor general initially tasked the OCPC, an oversight body for police, with investigating issues within the force in January 2019. Allegations of bullying and intimidation within the force’s leadership, including against then-chief Paul Martin, were raised by several officers in late 2018. These allegations prompted a deep sense of mistrust, as indicated in the OCPC’s preliminary report in 2019.
Over the past six years, several Durham police leaders implicated in the initial allegations have either resigned or retired. Shaun Collier, chair of the Durham Regional Police Service Board, stressed that the responsibility to make investigation results public lies with the OCPC, not with the Durham police board or service. He expressed disappointment over the OCPC’s decision not to release a public report, noting that transparency and accountability are essential in police oversight.
Tribunals Ontario, which assumed the OCPC’s responsibilities after its dissolution, clarified that it does not have a role in the investigation or the authority to release the report. Despite efforts to obtain comments from relevant authorities, including the solicitor general, attorney general, premier, Durham police, and Chief Peter Moreira, responses were not received.
The Inspectorate of Policing (IoP) in Ontario stated that it received the report this summer and will collaborate with the Durham police board and service to fulfill the statutory responsibilities outlined in the Community Safety and Policing Act. The IoP, a regulatory body ensuring compliance with the CSPA, did not confirm whether it would release the report to the public.
Lee emphasized the importance of accountability and improved effectiveness within the Durham police force, highlighting the need for public access to the recommendations from the investigation to ensure transparency and progress.