'There's always a few bad apples,' says Ontario premier in cautioning against losing trust in police
Seven serving Toronto police officers, a retired officer and 19 other people have been charged after a months‑long York Regional Police investigation into alleged organized crime, corruption and the misuse of confidential police data.
York Regional Police (YRP) announced the results of “Project South,” saying the seven‑month operation uncovered alleged criminal activity that ranged from a foiled murder plot to unlawful database searches, drug and weapons trafficking, and a scheme to shield illegal cannabis dispensaries from enforcement.
Asked about the development, Ontario premier Doug Ford called it “very, very disturbing," adding that the police investigation is still active and the courts will ultimately decide.
"I don't want to paint a broad brush or tarnish the police — we have phenomenal police officers," he said, according to the Trillium.
"When they get sworn in and they get their badge, they have a duty, and it's very disappointing to hear what's been going on, but I don't want the public to lose trust in our great police, because they are incredible. There's always, as you say, ([in] any organization, there's always a few bad apples."
Allegations of unlawful database queries
The probe began in June 2025, when officers say they identified and stopped a conspiracy to commit murder at a home in York Region. On June 20, a suspect vehicle drove to the residence and collided with a marked YRP cruiser stationed outside; three suspects – including two youths and one adult – were taken into custody.
According to investigators, the case quickly expanded beyond the initial incident. Police allege a Toronto Police Service (TPS) constable unlawfully accessed a police database, running queries that produced confidential information later tied to serious crimes.
YRP says further investigation revealed evidence of numerous unauthorized queries allegedly conducted by the constable and other TPS officers. In multiple instances, the addresses returned by those searches were later the scene of criminal incidents, including an extortion, commercial robberies and shootings, according to police.
Officers allege the confidential information was then shared with several civilian suspects who are believed to have links to criminal networks. In total, three serving officers and one retired TPS officer have been charged in relation to the alleged unlawful queries and the distribution of personal information, YRP says.
Firearm allegedly linked to eight shootings
Project South also intersected with a separate firearms investigation. At the scene of a shooting in Vaughan in September, police arrested Kaejean Doman, who was allegedly in possession of a gun investigators believe was illegally imported into Canada.
Forensic testing has since linked that weapon to at least eight shootings across southern Ontario, according to YRP. Doman faces a series of firearms‑related charges and remains in custody.
Police further allege Doman, along with Median Jackson and Devonte Barker Campbell, had access to confidential police information obtained through the TPS constable’s searches and were recruiting others to carry out crimes at various locations.
Bribery and drug‑trafficking allegations
As the investigation unfolded, officers say they uncovered an alleged bribery scheme involving Toronto police members and illegal cannabis dispensaries.
According to YRP, one officer is accused of leading a plan in which TPS officers would support the operation of illicit dispensaries by accepting bribes to obstruct, or attempt to obstruct, any enforcement action at those sites. Four officers now face bribery‑related charges in connection with that alleged scheme, police say.
Three TPS officers also face charges tied to the trafficking of cocaine, while another officer has been charged in relation to the alleged theft of personal property, including driver’s licences, health cards, passports and credit cards, according to the media release.
Investigators say they have also arrested a number of civilian suspects for alleged commercial‑scale trafficking of cocaine, methamphetamine, illicit cannabis, fentanyl, heroin and oxycodone. A detailed list of all 27 accused and the charges they face has been made available by police.
‘Corruption has no place in policing’
York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween called Project South an example of how police services must respond when allegations of misconduct involve their own members or those of another force.
“We will not rest until we are sure corrupt, criminal actors and anyone abusing their power as a police officer is held accountable,” MacSween said in the release, adding that corruption “has no place in policing” and will never be tolerated.
He said the investigation highlights what he described as the corrosive influence of organized crime and the way criminal groups can attempt to infiltrate even highly protected institutions, with significant consequences for community safety and public confidence.
Police say the investigation remains active and are asking anyone with additional information to contact York Regional Police or reach out to Crime Stoppers anonymously.
