POLICE BOARD FEELS HEAT OVER PROBE

Emergency Talks With Fantino Over Corruption Allegations

Bringing in RCMP to Investigate Seen As a Key Option

Toronto's Police Services Board will hold an emergency meeting with
Chief Julian Fantino as early as today to discuss allegations that
officers have been protecting "drug depots" and shaking down business
owners to pay off gambling debts.

Among the questions to be raised at the meeting is whether an
independent police force such as the RCMP should be called in to
investigate.

"It's very upsetting and the question is: Is there just a smell or is
there something systemically wrong," board chair Alan Heisey said
yesterday. "The media has raised the question and I assure (you) that
the board will be examining this matter very carefully."

The RCMP was called in 2001 to investigate allegations of theft,
perjury and fabricated evidence involving former Toronto police drug
squad officers. In January, the RCMP announced charges against six of
the former officers.

Heisey said he has been trying to call a special meeting on the latest
allegations since early last week. But he has been having trouble
reaching a quorum because three of the board's five members are
Toronto councillors who have been tied up in city council's marathon
budget debate which resumes today.

Daily revelations in the Star and other media about alleged police
involvement in illegal gambling dens and mob payoffs are too explosive
to wait until the board's regularly scheduled meeting later this week,
Heisey said.

"Given what's developing, it's too important to wait until Thursday,"
he said.

"I think at this point it's very clear we need a very detailed
briefing," Heisey said, adding that it would be premature to call for
an independent police investigation before discussing the matter with
the board and hearing from the chief.

Mayor David Miller said the allegations are "extremely serious and
need to be treated seriously."

"With respect to the independent investigation, I think the board
should seriously consider what's appropriate and what's necessary," he
said yesterday. "But until we know more facts, it's hard to know
whether either an outside investigation or a (public) inquiry is warranted.

"The board will get briefed (today or tomorrow) with more facts, so
I'm sure they'll make the right kind of decision."

Miller, who has spoken to Fantino about the allegations twice last
week, said he expects to get a further briefing this week.

"Torontonians are proud of their police service. But it has to be
absolutely beyond reproach. The series of incidents and allegations
reveal a very disturbing pattern," Miller said.

Councillor Pam McConnell, deputy chair of the police board, said she
thinks Fantino should seriously consider calling in an independent
force to investigate the allegations as he did in the drug squad matter.

"It's only one of the options, but it seemed to work well last time,"
she said. "I will certainly be discussing that with the chief of police."

Earlier this month, Toronto police suspended one officer and disbanded
the plainclothes unit at downtown 52 Division as part of a major
internal affairs investigation into police corruption. Two of the
officers under investigation are sons of former police chief William
McCormack. Police union president Rick McIntosh, also under
investigation, has stepped aside temporarily pending the results of
the probe.

Last week, Fantino said he expects both criminal and Police Act
charges to be laid as the investigation unfolds. Sources have told the
Star as many as six officers will be charged by the end of next month.

On Saturday, the Star reported that two downtown bars and another on
the Danforth were allegedly used as "drug depots" and protected by
city police while mobsters used the venues to stash drugs and count
their money. Sources told the Star that police officers allegedly
received payments from mobsters to ensure that the bars weren't
bothered by police patrols or liquor licence inspectors.

According to sources, the probe also involves a protection racket
allegedly run by officers to help pay off gambling debts they incurred
in Woodbridge. There are also allegations that at least three bars
were being used to stash drugs and that the people running the bars
are linked to organized crime. Investigators are also looking into
businesses in Richmond Hill that were used to launder money and
allegations that at least one officer received sexual favours from
prostitutes, sources say.

Meanwhile, several bars in the theatre district have complained to
police that they have been subjected to shake-down attempts by officers.

Sources have told the Star that the internal affairs investigation was
launched 14 months ago after the force was notified by the RCMP that
it had come across information related to officers working in the
downtown 52 Division while conducting a probe of organized crime.

- -- "I'm sure something will pop into my head here. I don't want to
sound like I have made no mistakes. I'm confident I have. Maybe I'm
not as quick on my feet as I should be in coming up with one." --
George W. Bush