3 OPP officers charged, others suspended amid towing industr

Police corruption is a form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, or career advancement for officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest. One common form of police corruption is soliciting or accepting bribes in exchange for not reporting organized drug or prostitution rings or other illegal activities. Another example is police officers flouting the police code of conduct in order to secure convictions of suspects — for example, through the use of falsified evidence.

3 OPP officers charged, others suspended amid towing industr

Postby Thomas » Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:50 pm

3 OPP officers charged, others suspended amid towing industry probe

Three Ontario Provincial Police officers and another person have been charged, while four other officers have been suspended in connection with an ongoing investigation into the towing industry in the GTA, the force said Saturday.

In a news release, the OPP said its professional standards unit received an internal complaint in February of 2019 alleging members of the OPP Highway Safety Division were providing preferential treatment to tow operators within the Greater Toronto Area.

A joint investigation involving the force's criminal investigation branch commenced in October of last year into the situation.

Now, three OPP officers — all with more than 20 years of service — have been charged with secret commissions and breach of trust contrary to the Criminal Code. The officers are:

- 53-year-old Const. Simon Bridle, who is attached to the highway safety division's 407 detachment.
- 52-year-old Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain, with the Toronto detachment.
- 57-year-old Const. Bindo Showan, who is with the 407 detachment.

Bridle has also been charged with obtaining sexual services for consideration, police say.

Showan is currently out of the province, the OPP said, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The other officers were arrested earlier this week.

4 more OPP officers suspended with pay

All three members have been or will be served notices of suspension with pay, the OPP said.

Additionally, as a result of the criminal investigation, four more OPP officers — including two commissioned officers from the highway safety division — have been suspended with pay.

These members remain under investigation but have not been charged with an offence, the OPP said.

The OPP has also charged a 52-year-old Toronto man with aiding and abetting breach of trust and secret commissions.

The accused is expected to appear in court on April 16 at the Ontario Court of Justice, Finch Avenue in Toronto.

Investigators are asking anyone with information regarding this ongoing investigation to call the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.5876302
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Three OPP officers charged for alleged towing industry corru

Postby Thomas » Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:50 am

Three OPP officers charged for alleged towing industry corruption

Ontario Provincial Police say they’ve charged three of their own veteran officers and suspended four others over allegations of corruption related to the province’s tow truck industry.

The service alleges the accused officers provided preferential treatment to towing companies within the Greater Toronto Area.

The charges and suspensions stemmed from an investigation first launched in October 2019.

The officers facing charges all have at least 20 years of service with the OPP and served with either its Highway Safety Division or the Toronto detachment.

Const. Simon Bridle and Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain were both arrested last week, while a warrant is out for the arrest of Const. Bindo Showan who is believed to be out of the province.

All three are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

The OPP says the four other officers remain under investigation, but are not currently facing any criminal charges.

https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/ ... corruption

https://canoe.com/news/provincial/three ... bf99683f46
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3 OPP officers charged, others suspended amid towing industr

Postby Thomas » Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:51 am

3 OPP officers charged, others suspended amid towing industry probe

All 3 officers have been or will be served notices of suspension with pay, the OPP says

Three Ontario Provincial Police officers and another person have been charged, while four other officers have been suspended in connection with an ongoing investigation into the towing industry in the GTA, the force said Saturday.

In a news release, the OPP said its professional standards unit received an internal complaint in February of 2019 alleging members of the OPP Highway Safety Division were providing preferential treatment to tow operators within the Greater Toronto Area.

A joint investigation involving the force's criminal investigation branch commenced in October of last year into the situation.

Now, three OPP officers — all with more than 20 years of service — have been charged with secret commissions and breach of trust contrary to the Criminal Code. The officers are:

- 53-year-old Const. Simon Bridle, who is attached to the highway safety division's 407 detachment.
- 52-year-old Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain, with the Toronto detachment.
- 57-year-old Const. Bindo Showan, who is with the 407 detachment.

Bridle has also been charged with obtaining sexual services for consideration, police say.

Showan is currently out of the province, the OPP said, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The other officers were arrested earlier this week.

4 more OPP officers suspended with pay

All three members have been or will be served notices of suspension with pay, the OPP said.

Additionally, as a result of the criminal investigation, four more OPP officers — including two commissioned officers from the highway safety division — have been suspended with pay.

These members remain under investigation but have not been charged with an offence, the OPP said.

The OPP has also charged a 52-year-old Toronto man with aiding and abetting breach of trust and secret commissions.

The accused is expected to appear in court on April 16 at the Ontario Court of Justice, Finch Avenue in Toronto.

Investigators are asking anyone with information regarding this ongoing investigation to call the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.5876302
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OPP charges 3 officers, suspends 4 over towing industry alle

Postby Thomas » Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:53 am

OPP charges 3 officers, suspends 4 over towing industry allegations

Three OPP officers have been charged and four others have been suspended after an investigation involving the towing industry.

The investigation began in Feb. 2019 when they received an internal complaint that alleged OPP officers within the Highway Safety Division were giving preferential treatment to tow operators in the GTA.

Provincial Const. Simon Bridle, a 20-year veteran of the OPP with the Highway Safety Division, and Provincial Const. Mohammed (Ali) Hussain, a 24-year veteran with the OPP Toronto detachment, have both been charged with Secret Commissions and Breach of Trust.

Const. Bridle has also been charged with Obtaining Sexual Services for Consideration.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a third officer, Provincial Const. Bindo Showan, a 20-year veteran of the Highway Safety Division, as he is currently not in the province.

The three officers have or will be suspended with pay.

An additional four officers, include two Commissioned Officers from the Highway Safety Division, have been suspended with pay due to the ongoing investigation. They have not yet been charged with an offence.

A civilian, Sutheshkumar Sithambarpillay, 52, of Toronto has also been charged with aiding and abetting breach of trust and secret commissions. He will appear in court on April 16.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/01/16/ ... legations/
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OPP CHARGE THREE VETERAN OFFICERS IN TOW TRUCK SCANDAL

Postby Thomas » Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:56 am

Three OPP officers face corruption charges as the province continues its efforts to clean up the criminal activity that has infected Ontario’s towing industry. In February 2019, the OPP Professional Standards Unit were tipped off that members of the OPP Highway Safety Division were providing preferential treatment to tow operators within the Greater Toronto Area. In October 2019, a joint investigation commenced with the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch and the OPP PSU involving offences related to breach of trust and bribery.

As a result of this complex internal investigation, three career OPP officers have been charged with Secret Commissions and Breach of Trust contrary to the Criminal Code.

Charges laid

The charged OPP members are as follows:

- PC Simon BRIDLE – aged 53 years – Highway Safety Division 407 Detachment, a 20-year police veteran,

- PC Mohammed (Ali) HUSSAIN – aged 52 years – OPP Toronto Detachment with 24 years of service.

Hussain was arrested on January 13, 2021 and Brindle was arrested on January 14, 2021 and both have been released on undertakings with specific conditions of release. PC Brindle is additionally charged with obtaining sexual services for consideration, contrary to section 286.1(1) of the Criminal Code.

Police have also issued an arrest warrant for PC Bindo Showan – aged 57 years -a 20-year OPP veteran who also worked out of the Highway Safety Division 4077 Detachment.

As per the Police Services Act, all three members have been or will be served notices of suspension with pay.

Additionally, as a result of this ongoing criminal investigation, four more OPP officers – including two Commissioned Officers from the Highway Safety Division – have been suspended with pay. These members remain under investigation but have not been charged with an offence. The investigation is continuing and should these members be criminally charged, their identities will be released.

The OPP has also charged Sutheshkumar Sithambarpillay , aged 52 years of Toronto, with aiding and Abetting Breach of Trust and Secret Commissions contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. The accused is expected to appear in court on April 16, 2021 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto.

The investigation and arrests followed newspaper accounts that described a violent and deadly tow-truck war that saw at least four people in the industry killed, vehicles torched as companies battle for a bigger shares of the towing business

If anyone has information regarding this ongoing investigation, they are urged to call the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 or, if they wish to remain anonymous, contact CrimeStoppers.

https://bayobserver.ca/2021/01/16/opp-c ... k-scandal/
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OPP charges three officers, suspends four others over towing

Postby Thomas » Mon Jan 18, 2021 4:05 am

OPP charges three officers, suspends four others over towing industry allegations

TORONTO - Ontario Provincial Police say they’ve charged three of their own veteran officers and suspended four others over allegations of corruption related to the province’s tow truck industry.

The force alleges the accused officers provided preferential treatment to towing companies within the Greater Toronto Area.

The charges and suspensions stemmed from an investigation first launched in October 2019.

The officers facing charges all have at least 20 years of service with the OPP and served with either its Highway Safety Division or the Toronto detachment.

Const. Simon Bridle and Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain were both arrested this past week, while a warrant is out for the arrest of Const. Bindo Showan who is believed to be out of the province.

All three are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

OPP says the four other officers remain under investigation, but are not currently facing any criminal charges.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/0 ... tions.html
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Constable Corruption: OPP charge three officers with corrupt

Postby Thomas » Thu Jan 21, 2021 7:12 am

Constable Corruption: OPP charge three officers with corruption to towing industry

Toronto, Ontario ⁠— The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged three of their own veteran officers and suspended four others over allegations of corruption related to the province’s tow truck industry. They have also charged Sutheshkumar Sithambarpillay, owner of Steve’s Towing.

All three are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

The force alleges the accused officers provided preferential treatment to towing companies within the Greater Toronto Area. The charges and suspensions stemmed from an investigation first launched in October 2019.

OPP also announced they charged 52-year-old Sithambarpillay with aiding and abetting breach of trust and secret commissions contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. Sithambarpillay, who goes by the name Steve Pillai, is the owner of Steve’s Towing, which is located near Highway 400 north of Sheppard Avenue in North York. He had previously appeared on Discovery Canada’s Heavy Rescue 401.

The officers facing charges all have at least 20 years of service with the OPP and served with either its Highway Safety Division or the Toronto detachment; Const. Simon Bridle and Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain were both arrested this past week, while a warrant is out for the arrest of Const. Bindo Showan. All three are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

OPP says the four other officers remain under investigation, but are not currently facing any criminal charges.

https://www.collisionrepairmag.com/cons ... -industry/
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OPP charges three officers in tow truck probe

Postby Thomas » Thu Jan 21, 2021 7:13 am

OPP charges three officers, suspends four others over towing industry allegations

TORONTO - Ontario Provincial Police say they've charged three of their own veteran officers and suspended four others over allegations of corruption related to the province's tow truck industry.

The force alleges the accused officers provided preferential treatment to towing companies within the Greater Toronto Area.

The charges and suspensions stemmed from an investigation first launched in October 2019.

The officers facing charges all have at least 20 years of service with the OPP and served with either its Highway Safety Division or the Toronto detachment.

Const. Simon Bridle and Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain were both arrested this past week, while a warrant is out for the arrest of Const. Bindo Showan who is believed to be out of the province.

All three are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

OPP says the four other officers remain under investigation, but are not currently facing any criminal charges.

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/ ... 8ef13.html
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Officer arrests in tow truck bribery scandal prompt change o

Postby Thomas » Fri Jan 22, 2021 7:37 am

Officer arrests in tow truck bribery scandal prompt change of command at Toronto-area OPP detachments

The Ontario Provincial Police has revamped its command structure in three GTA detachments in reaction to an ongoing investigation into bribery and corruption in the towing industry, the Star has learned.

The moves come as three veteran constables were hit with criminal charges last week for allegedly taking bribes while four others - including two senior inspectors - have been suspended with pay but not charged.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/0 ... ments.html
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Two more OPP officers charged in GTA tow truck corruption in

Postby Thomas » Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:19 pm

Two more OPP officers charged in GTA tow truck corruption investigation

Two veteran Ontario Provincial Police officers have been charged criminally regarding corruption in the local tow truck industry.

Insp. Steve Grosjean, 62, of the Mississauga detachment and Const. Bindo Showan, 57, of the 407 Detachment have each been charged with breach of trust while Showan has also been charged with accepting secret commissions.

That makes a half dozen GTA police officers who have been criminally charged this year with corruption regarding the towing industry, including one charged with “obtaining sexual service for consideration.”

“This still remains an ongoing investigation,” Bill Dickson of the OPP said on Thursday.

In addition to the corruption allegations, there have been at least four homicides, multiple shootings, scores of tow trucks set on fire and fire-bombings in the GTA towing industry over the past two years.

On Tuesday night, two tow trucks were found ablaze near Victoria Park and O’Connor Drive late Tuesday night.

A warrant was sworn for Showan last month when the OPP charged two other veteran constables for allegedly taking bribes while four other OPP officers, including two senior inspectors, were suspended with pay but not charged.

Last week, Toronto police Const. Ronald Joseph, 48, of was hit with 13 charges related to corruption in the tow truck industry, including attempted fraud over $5,000; counselling an indictable offence not committed; fraud over $5,000; forgery; public mischief; uttering a forged document; conspiracy to commit fraud and counselling to commit an indictable offence.

Another veteran Toronto officer was among 11 people charged last June in a crackdown on corruption in the towing industry, as police alleged that towing companies used illegally obtained encrypted police radios to gain an advantage over their competition.

In York Region, Supt. Mike Slack of York Regional Police earlier said last that four different organized crime groups have been found in the local tow truck industry. Slack made his comments after investigators looking into the towing industry seized a machine-gun, 16 handguns, 13 shotguns, nine rifles, a sawed-off shotgun, thousands of rounds of ammunition, brass knuckles, stun guns and a silencer.

Many of the police charges involve accusations of advancing bogus insurance claims for false or staged collisions.

The OPP revamped its command structure in three GTA detachments last month in the wake of the ongoing tow truck scandal.

The names of the senior officers who were suspended with pay last month have not been released and Dickson said he could not comment on whether Grosjean was one of them.

Last year, a Vaughan legal firm that worked for insurance companies in their legal battles against tow truck firms was forced to shut down after it was twice torched and a gunman shot through its windows in daytime.

Showan, a 20-year veteran, worked undercover for a year and a half before the 2010 G20 Summit, for which he and another OPP officer infiltrated activists who planned what prosecutors called “property modification,” or vandalism.

Industry insiders have told the Star that a driver can net $2,000 tax-free on a single day while police officers can net considerably more through a variety of illegal kickbacks from physiotherapy clinics, body shops, car rentals and storage facilities.

Police continue to investigate the murder of Scarborough tow-truck driver Lawrence Taylor Gannon, 28, who was shot in the driveway of his home on Ivy Green Crescent, near Brimorton Drive and Orton Park Road, at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday April 29, 2019.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/0 ... ation.html
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2 OPP officers arrested in connection with ongoing towing pr

Postby Thomas » Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:21 pm

Ontario Provincial Police say two officers from the highway safety division were recently arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the towing industry.

They say Insp. Steve Grosjean, 62, who has been with the force for 33 years, was arrested on Tuesday. He is a member of the Mississauga detachment. He was charged with breach of trust.

And police say Bindo Showan, 57, who is a 20-year veteran and was serving with the 407 detachment, was arrested on Jan. 22 and has been charged with secret commissions.

In January, the service announced that three officers had been charged and four others had been suspended in connection with allegations of corruption related to the province’s tow truck industry.

One of the three officers was Showan, who was out of province at the time of the announcement.

The others were Const. Simon Bridle, 53, a 20-year veteran of the 407 detachment and Const. Mohammed (Ali) Hussain, 52, a 24-year veteran of the Toronto detachment. Both are facing breach of trust charges, though Bridle was also charged with obtaining sexual services for consideration.

The OPP says it began its investigation in February 2019 after an internal complaint alleged that members of its highway safety division were giving preferential treatment to tow truck operators in the GTA.

Last month, it said four other officers were under investigation.

On Thursday, OPP said the investigation continues and if there are any other charges, names will be released.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7661994/opp- ... -arrested/
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Fourth OPP officer charged in ongoing tow truck investigatio

Postby Thomas » Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:22 pm

A fourth provincial police officer has been charged in a two-year long probe into alleged crimes in the tow-truck industry.

Ontario Provincial Police say 62-year-old Insp. Steve Grosjean with the force's highway safety division in Mississauga, Ont., faces a breach-of-trust charge.

OPP also say they have arrested 57-year-old Const. Bindo Showan on charges of secret commissions and breach of trust

Spokesman Bill Dickson says the charges relate to alleged preferential treatment of tow-truck operators in the Toronto area.

He says the force launched an internal investigation two years ago

Two other veterans of the force were charged last month in the ongoing probe.

https://www.cp24.com/news/fourth-opp-of ... -1.5324155

https://ottawa.citynews.ca/around-ontar ... on-3457617

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... ion-probe/
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Three OPP officers charged for corruption in tow truck indus

Postby Thomas » Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:30 pm

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged three of their own veteran officers and suspended four others over allegations of corruption related to the province’s tow truck industry. The OPP have also charged Sutheshkumar Sithambarpillay, owner of Steve’s Towing.

All three officers are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

The force alleges the accused officers provided preferential treatment to towing companies within the Greater Toronto Area. The charges and suspensions stemmed from an investigation first launched in October 2019. OPP also announced they charged 52-yearold Sithambarpillay with aiding and abetting breach of trust and secret commissions contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada. Sithambarpillay, who goes by the name Steve Pillai, is the owner of Steve’s Towing, which is located near Highway 400 north of Sheppard Avenue in North York. He had previously appeared on Discovery Canada’s Heavy Rescue 401.

The officers facing charges all have at least 20 years of service with the OPP and served with either its Highway Safety Division or the Toronto detachment; Const. Simon Bridle and Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain were both arrested in early January, while a warrant is out for the arrest of Const. Bindo Showan. All three are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration.

OPP says the four other officers remain under investigation but are not currently facing any criminal charges. In the days following the charges, further events unfolded in Toronto’s As the GTA continues fighting a two-year tow truck turf war, Police investigate two separate shootings involving two tow trucks near highway 401 in North York on January 20. Police said that several callers reported hearing multiple gunshots in the area of Jane Street and Grandravine Drive just before 8 p.m.

A black car drove past a tow truck parked on the grass off the on-ramp from Avenue Road to the 401 and opened fire, according to police statements. Upon arrival, officers confirmed two vehicles and a residence has sustained damage from gunfire. At the second shooting of the night, a tow truck driver was parked at a gas station parking lot next to the 401, when a dark coloured car pulled up and a gunman opened fire, police say.

The vehicle drove away from the scene; but no injuries have been reported, and Police are now looking for suspects and believe there are multiple shooters involved.

https://www.collisionrepairmag.com/bad-apples-busted/
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OPP introduce new towing protocols in effort to curb corrupt

Postby Thomas » Thu Sep 30, 2021 6:57 pm

OPP introduce new towing protocols in effort to curb corruption

New towing protocols by the Ontario Provincial Police are aimed at curbing corruption both in the industry and within the force’s ranks, as four of its officers face criminal charges in connection to a continuing tow-truck turf war in the Greater Toronto Area.

Under the new rules, announced Tuesday, all tow trucks enlisted for police-requested tows – which include vehicles impounded for impaired driving, stunt driving or evidence – must be registered and approved by the OPP through an annual application process.

“This is a process that will keep everything above board and documented,” OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt said.

In addition to requirements around driving records, equipment safety and insurance, towing companies must also sign a release authorizing a criminal background check.

These changes come in the wake of a tow-truck turf war that has plagued the GTA with violence over the past few years. A Globe and Mail investigation in February, 2020, revealed that dozens of trucks had been set on fire and at least four men with ties to towing companies had been killed, as operators compete for bigger slices of a lucrative and fraud-ridden segment of the industry known as collision towing or “accident chasing.”

A joint forces investigation into the industry, led by York Regional Police, resulted in more than 30 charges in the summer of 2020, and separate corruption probes have led to charges against more than half a dozen police officers.

Within the OPP, Inspector Steve Grosjean, 62, commander for the highway safety division’s Mississauga detachment, was charged in February with breach of trust. Three senior constables are also facing charges. Toronto and Ottawa police officers have also been charged in separate investigations.

OPP Sgt. Schmidt said Tuesday that the new policy, which will affect thousands of tows, will help to ensure accountability “both internally externally.”

“We’re going to be documenting every tow interaction that our officers have with other tows, again for accountability,” Sgt. Schmidt said. “Every time there’s an interaction with an officer or a tow truck operator, the officer will complete paperwork. The officer’s only allowed to use one tow truck once per shift. ... If they have two impounds, it cannot be the same operator.”

Vehicles must also be stored at facilities within the jurisdictions where they are towed.

“You can’t be driving through Toronto ... and then pick up a car along the way and drag it back to a different city,” he said. “That’s completely inappropriate, and that won’t happen.”

Premier Doug Ford has pledged to crack down on the industry, including by drafting legislation to license and standardize towing across the province – measures that have long been called for by industry stakeholders.

Mark Graves, president of the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario, said the OPP’s policy overhaul is a matter of due diligence.

“The reality is, provincial licensing is going to take care of this anyways,” he said.

In the meantime the turf war has continued. On Sept. 16, York Regional Police were called to a residential street in Newmarket after a tow truck was set on fire around 3:45 a.m.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... orruption/
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Fallout from tow truck turf war prompts new rules for OPP of

Postby Thomas » Thu Sep 30, 2021 6:58 pm

Fallout from tow truck turf war prompts new rules for OPP officers

TORONTO -- The Ontario Provincial Police is introducing new checks and balances for its members ordering tow truck services in the wake of an investigation that charged four officers with taking secret commissions and breach of trust.

The move comes amid a push to rid Ontario’s tow truck industry of criminality that has seen shootings, arsons, assaults and even a homicide, said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.

“We’ve seen a lot of turf war battles between competing tow truck companies. Those put the community and the public at risk,” Schmidt told CTV News Toronto.

Under the new rules, each tow truck company must apply to the OPP to be considered, and must be approved by a local commander. Each year the company must provide its ownership, registration, licence, vehicle, equipment, and insurance, and submit its principals to a criminal history background check.

A company can also be removed if it fails to pass the requirements. The applications must be submitted by Nov. 1, 2021.

Each tow request must be documented and each officer can only use a company once per shift.

“That’s for our own internal accountability as well, to make sure there is no favouritism being displayed,” Schmidt said.

Favouritism appeared to be an issue when the OPP announced charges against four officers earlier this year, accused of breach of trust and taking secret commissions.

Another man, who appeared as a driver on a popular TV show, was also charged with aiding and abetting breach of trust and secret commissions.

The four officers are slated to appear at a Finch Street courthouse in Toronto in October. One of them, Simon Bridle, is also facing a charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration. Court staff say he’s elected to face a jury at Superior Court in Newmarket.

The measures are on top of a pilot program that aimed to do something similar on provincial highways through the Greater Toronto Area. Those rules would limit one company for each of four prescribed zones.

Joey Gagne, the president of Abrams Towing, said the changes won’t affect companies like his that are already registered and operate above board. But they will cause problems for operations that aren’t transparent about how they operate, he said.

“Quite frankly, I would like to see more, but it’s not a bad first step. It’s a measured approach. Anything is better than what we have now,” he said.

Schmidt says the OPP will remain vigilant.

“There have been investigations, there continue to be ongoing investigations into inappropriate conduct and that’s why this system will hold everyone accountable,” he said.

A Toronto police constable also faces a raft of charges related to receiving payments and kickbacks, providing a police radio to tow truck drivers, and is accused in a series of frauds involving insurance claims and car crashes that were allegedly staged.

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/fallout-from ... -1.5604166
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