Three officers from the Peel Regional Police Service who were suspended amid a major anti-corruption investigation have been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing and have returned to their regular duties, the force has confirmed.
The suspensions came shortly after seven Toronto police officers were arrested and charged as part of Project South, a wide-reaching investigation led by York Regional Police into alleged police corruption. While the Peel officers were never arrested or charged, their temporary removal from duty raised questions about the scope of the investigation.
Recently unsealed court documents have shed new light on how Peel officers became entangled in the probe. The documents name three members of the force, including Const. Scott King, Det. Adrian Shipp, and Const. Paul Bins. One of the named officers reportedly worked within the professional standards unit. However, Peel police declined to confirm whether these are the same officers who faced suspension.
According to the partially released documents, investigators were particularly interested in alleged unauthorized database queries. In one instance, detectives deliberately notified an officer about being under investigation to observe his reaction. Intercepted communications reportedly captured the officer telling his wife about a “massive project” targeting “corrupt cops,” while claiming he had no memory of conducting the database search in question.
The Peel Regional Police spokesperson stated they cannot comment on the ongoing Law Enforcement Complaints Agency investigation or the broader Project South probe. The local police union has not responded to media inquiries regarding the matter.
