Three Peel Regional Police officers have been suspended pending further investigation by York Regional Police (YRP).
YRP have been leading the ongoing investigation, Project South, that has already resulted in the arrests of seven Toronto police officers, a retired Toronto police officer and 19 others.
Peel police tell CityNews no officers have been charged in connection to Project South and the “scope of the York Regional Police (YRP) investigation is wide-reaching and ongoing.”
“To protect the integrity of their investigation, we will not be providing additional comment,” their statement read.
The investigation into police corruption and organized crime found officers had allegedly unlawfully accessed information, which was then funneled to criminals who carried out shootings and other violent offences.
The probe began in June 2025 after investigators uncovered and disrupted a conspiracy to commit murder at a home in York Region.
York police say the operation targeted a criminal network that spanned multiple jurisdictions. The charges against the seven officers range from a peace officer accepting a bribe, conspiracy to obstruct justice, breach of trust by a public officer, trafficking in substances, and theft under $5,000.
“While this is a deeply disappointing and sad day for policing, this investigation also underscores the insidious, corrosive nature of organized crime,” said York Police Chief Jim MacSween said in a press conference Thursday.
The Toronto Police Service Board and TPS Chief Myron Demkiw said as a result of the investigation, they have asked the Inspector General of Policing to conduct an independent review of “five key areas of concern” within the service.
Former Special Investigations Unit Director Ian Scott spoke with CityNews about the arrests of the Toronto police officers about the potential of other officers being involved.
“We know that there was one officer who was involved, and he was speaking to obviously seven other ones. But did he only speak to seven others? Was he trying to recruit others who didn’t say anything?” asked Scott.
“Of those eight officers, did anyone in their detachments know what was going on? They had a duty – a duty under the Community Safety and Policing Act – to bring allegations of misconduct to their superiors. […] This aspect has not been addressed at all. But it does mean that, unfortunately, the corruption issues extend much further than the seven or eight charged officers.”
He added restoring public trust in police after these incidents will be a key component moving forward.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of police, among other officials, that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.
Toronto police officer accused of accessing confidential information denied bail
A Toronto police officer accused of unlawfully accessing confidential information on an Ontario corrections officer has been denied bail.
Const. Timothy Barnhardt appeared in court on Friday for a bail hearing.
Barnhardt faces 17 charges in connection with the investigation, Project South.
