Toronto Police’s 12 Division Faces Scrutiny Over Repeated Database Breaches A recent investigation by The Globe and Mail has uncovered a pattern of unauthorized database access within Toronto Police Service’s (TPS) 12 Division, raising concerns about internal misconduct and data security. The findings come amid Project South one of Canada’s largest police corruption probes where officers from the same division were charged with allegedly misusing law enforcement databases to facilitate criminal activity. Between 2018 and 2025, 12 Division accounted for nearly a third of all TPS cases resulting in Police Act convictions for database breaches, with four officers disciplined and a fifth facing criminal charges. While these cases predate Project South, they share similarities with the allegations at its core: the misuse of sensitive police systems for personal or illicit purposes. ### Key Incidents of Misuse The breaches varied in severity, from seemingly minor infractions to serious violations: - Constable Alison Gaudino (2018) pleaded guilty to unauthorized searches on a personal acquaintance, accessing systems like Versadex, CPIC (RCMP’s national database), and IntelliBook. - Constable Brian Collymore (2018) conducted an unexplained license-plate query in 2015, with no justification provided. - Constable Daniel Smith (2019) used databases to track down a domestic violence victim from a prior case, later contacting her for personal reasons. - Constable Timothy Price (2022) faced the harshest penalty eight days’ docked pay for repeated unauthorized searches on an ex-partner, compounded by a prior 2016 conviction for similar misconduct. - Constable Ricardo Gomez (2024) was criminally convicted for leaking confidential information, including personal data and police documents, to an individual with a criminal record. He received six months of house arrest and remains suspended. ### Project South and Broader Implications Project South, led by York Regional Police, stemmed from an alleged attempted assassination of a corrections officer, with investigators tracing the plot back to TPS Constable Timothy Barnhardt, who allegedly used police databases to leak the officer’s personal details. Seven active TPS officers three from 12 Division along with a retired officer, now face charges, though none have been tested in court. In response to Project South, Ontario’s Inspector-General of Policing has launched a provincewide review of police corruption, with database security as a focal point. TPS Chief Myron Demkiw has acknowledged the need for internal reforms, including an "anti-corruption project" to bolster oversight of systems like CPIC and the Ministry of Transportation’s databases. ### TPS Response and Union Perspective TPS spokesperson Stephanie Sayer downplayed concerns about 12 Division’s disproportionate breaches, noting that disciplinary records may not capture all internal cases. Clayton Campbell, president of the Toronto Police Association, emphasized that not all unauthorized accesses meet the threshold for criminality, with discipline assessed on a case-by-case basis. Despite these assurances, the concentration of breaches in 12 Division alongside its involvement in Project South has intensified scrutiny of the division’s culture and accountability measures. The outcomes of the provincewide review and pending criminal trials will likely shape future policies on police data access and misconduct enforcement.