Toronto Canada P.D.: Lamplighter, a.k.a. Whistleblower in Trouble
Officer charged after meeting Star
He wants his day in courtroom
Truth `may be painful' for police
May 5, 2006. 01:00 AM
BETSY POWELL - CRIME REPORTER
A senior Toronto police officer who faces a misconduct charge after meeting with a Toronto Star reporter probing police corruption says he looks forward to telling "why I did what I thought was right" even if it causes "pain" for the force.
"To me it's about the truth. I just hope that the Toronto police can stand up to having the truth out there," Jim Cassells, a 29-year police veteran, said yesterday.
"The truth may be painful for the Toronto police."
Cassells was part of an RCMP-led task force that investigated corruption within the Toronto Police Service leading to six drug squad officers facing charges of extortion, perjury and assault in 2004. A four-month preliminary hearing ended last week and the judge is expected to rule on whether to commit the accused to trial on May 26.
Cassells faces one count of misconduct under the Police Services Act "in that you did without proper authority, communicate to the media or to any unauthorized person any matter connected with the police force," reads the notice of hearing.
It is alleged Cassells shared information about an ongoing internal investigation with the Star's John Duncanson, identified as "J.D." in the notice of hearing.
The notice does not specify what information was allegedly leaked.
Duncanson met Detectives Jim Cassells and Darren Little at a popular Etobicoke restaurant last Nov. 21 where they sat in a booth and had lunch. Little has not been charged.
Just as Duncanson was going to pay the bill, several other plainclothes detectives got up from tables in the restaurant and approached the trio.
One of them identified himself as a detective with the force's professional standards branch, which includes internal affairs, and ordered Cassells and Little to report immediately back to their respective units and await further orders.
All the officers then left the restaurant without saying anything.
Cassells said he felt he had no choice but to go to the media because he felt something important was going to be "swept under the carpet"
"I made the decision based on my own moral values. I did what I thought was right and I'm going to stand by it," he said.
"I fully considered the consequences of my actions prior to doing it.
``And I'm not blaming the police department for doing what they're doing but that said I'm going to explain myself."
He is scheduled to make his first appearance in front of a police tribunal next Thursday.
Cassells, who has an unblemished record with the service and is eligible to retire this summer, was transferred from 22 Division to traffic services after the incident.
"I don't think you'll find anybody involved with the special task force . . . I'd be surprised if you'd find anybody who would do the job again."
In 2005, Duncanson won a National Newspaper Award for stories on police corruption.