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Bellatrix

Four Toronto police officers charged with 14 counts under Police Services Act
Yahoo! News | Mon Apr 26, 4:57 PM ET

STEVE FAIRBAIRN

TORONTO (CP) - Four more Toronto police officers were slapped with charges Monday - another black eye for a force recently stung by allegations of drug dealing, money laundering and discreditable conduct.

The latest charges, laid under Ontario's Police Services Act, include corruption, deceit and discreditable conduct, police Chief Julian Fantino told a news conference. The Toronto force is still reeling after six members of the city's now-disbanded drug squad were charged this year following a corruption probe led by the RCMP.

Bellatrix - we're waiting for the Vancouver equivelant to implode in a similar fashion. They've already been given a number of warnings and reprimands. Given the circumstances it's close to impossible for these guys to stay honest; it's just a mattr of time. Absolute power = absolute corruption. Also interesting that the probe is led by the RCMP. Funny that nobody sees a conflict of interest there.

Fantino took great pains to assure Torontonians he'll do what it takes to clean up his force's tarnished image.

"We will be unrelenting and uncompromising in investigating all allegations of wrongdoing," said Fantino. "We will not let the people of Toronto down."

The Toronto force's professional standards division decides whether charges are laid under the Police Services Act. The force will now establish a tribunal to decide on a verdict and punishment. Penalties range from docking an officer's pay to demotion to dismissal.

Bellatrix - pretty light punsihments, considering what these guys are up for. If a private citizen was caught laundering money or dealing drugs they'd go to prison.

One of the constables charged Monday is Mike McCormack, the 42-year-old son of William McCormack, a highly respected former Toronto police chief who retired in 1995.

Also charged were constables Robert Correa, Michael Thompson and another officer whose name wasn't immediately released because he hadn't been informed of the details of the charges, said Fantino.

The investigation involves the officers' alleged links to a deceased used-car salesman who police suspect was using his dealership as a money-laundering front and as a terminal for stolen cars destined for black markets overseas.

Another son of former chief McCormack was also under investigation over separate allegations.

Earlier this month, William McCormack Jr., Mike's older brother, was abruptly suspended with pay from his duties as a plainclothes officer in a downtown precinct. He has not been charged. However, the entire plainclothes unit has been disbanded.

Bellatrix - the McCormack's have quite a racket going in Toronto, don't they? "Suspended with pay" is really "a vacation." The officers in Vancouver who beat that kid in Stanley Park went to Mexico during their "suspension."

Fantino has acknowledged there are allegations against an officer and the plainclothes unit, but he has not elaborated.

Despite Fantino's tough words about cracking down on alleged "wrongdoers," some politicians and community leaders have questioned why the chief hasn't asked an outside force to investigate this latest scandal as he did with the city's drug squad.

Fantino responded by saying the people of Toronto should have confidence in the ability of his force's professional standards investigators to probe the actions of his officers.

Bellatrix - this attitude is such an insult. Why should the people of Toronto trust the police to regulate themselves, when it's clear that they can't? Keeping the investigation in the force is just an excuse to be able to gloss it over. Nobody will be found accountable and nobody will be punished if they have their way. This is a nice way of saying to the people "Go f*ck yourselves."

"It (an outside probe) is unnecessary from my point of view at this point in time," he said.

Fantino was to meet later Monday with the city's police services board to discuss the scandals.

The provincial New Democrats called Monday for the Ontario government to launch an independent public inquiry into the Toronto force, but Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter rejected the idea because he was satisfied with the action Fantino has taken so far.

Bellatrix - I've highlighted the NDP here because they are the only political party in Canada that has openly made the full legalization of marijuana part of their party platform. Of course, this paragraph shows how far the long arm of the old boys club extends.

"There isn't a need at this point," said Kwinter. "He (Fantino) is doing what he is supposed to do."

In January, 22 criminal charges were laid against six drug squad officers.

There were allegations that officers falsified search warrants, traded in drugs, supplied perjured testimony and shook down citizens.

Court documents said the RCMP-led investigation was hampered by obstruction within the Toronto force that included death threats to witnesses.

In Monday's developments, Mike McCormack was charged with corrupt practice, discreditable conduct and insubordination.

Correa was charged with corrupt practice, deceit, discreditable conduct and insubordination

Thompson and the fourth officer were charged with discreditable conduct and insubordination.

Bellatrix - of course, illegal narcotics are front and centre in yet another case of police corruption in a major Canadian city. I thought I would post this just to remind everyone that Vancouver by no means is alone when it comes to a notoriously bad police force.

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