What is Project South Revealing About Police Corruption in Ontario? | The Rundown

Описание: Police chiefs in Toronto and York Region say seven Toronto police officers and one retired officer have been arrested in what they describe as one of the largest corruption cases in the service’s history. The investigation, known as "Project South," began after a veteran officer is alleged to have leaked the home address of a corrections officer to an accused drug trafficker — information police say led to an attempted hit. As investigators expanded the probe, they uncovered a wider set of allegations, including firearms offences, drug trafficking, bribery, and obstruction of justice. In response, Ontario’s inspector general of policing has ordered a province‑wide review of police services and police boards.

The Rundown examines the allegations against the Toronto police officers involved in Project South, what happens next in the case, and the broader implications for public trust in policing. We'll also looks beyond Ontario, using a global corruption index to assess how public‑sector corruption is perceived internationally — and where Canada ranks.

Guests:

Jennifer Pagliaro, Toronto Star's crime reporter

and

Salvator Cusimano, Executive Director of Transparency International Canada.

0:00 Intro
1:23 What is Project South? Charges and scope so far
1:37 Toronto Star crime reporter Jennifer Pagliaro joins the show
1:51 New allegations: GPS tracking, harassment, and civilian involvement
2:36 Firearm found in civilian’s home
3:08 Insurance fraud allegations involving a police officer
4:17 Breakdown of charges against Toronto police officers
5:05 Conspiracy to commit murder and other serious allegations
5:12 Suspended Peel police officers and ongoing investigations
5:52 Where the accused officers worked in Toronto
6:56 Focus on Constable Tim Barnhart and key allegations
8:02 Possible links to GTA tow truck violence
9:03 Have criminal cases been compromised?
9:23 Province-wide policing review and systemic concerns
10:20 Political reaction and police leadership response
11:06 Impact on public trust in policing
12:04 Is this unprecedented in Toronto police history?
13:02 Zooming out: Are Canadian institutions trustworthy?
13:23 Transparency International Canada’s Salvatore Cusumano joins
13:45 How corruption works in Canada
15:49 Is police corruption rare in Canada?
17:24 What is the Corruption Perceptions Index?
18:25 Canada’s 2025 CPI ranking explained
19:53 How Canada compares to peer democracies
21:08 Perception vs. actual corruption
23:01 Safeguards against corruption in Canada
24:45 Risks of fast-tracked infrastructure projects
26:35 Policing corruption in the U.S. context

About The Rundown:

The Rundown is your nightly half-hour deep dive into just one headline. With host Jeyan Jeganathan, we’ll cover everything from housing and health care to climate and AI. We’ll break down why each topic matters, who’s living it, and what’s being done to make things better – starting right here in Ontario. Slow down. Tune in. Make sense of the moment. And tell us what you think.

Follow on social media:

Instagram –   / therundowntvo  

Facebook-   / therundowntvo  

X-   / therundowntvo  

Bluesky- https://bsky.app/profile/therundowntv...

Subscribe to TVO Today to watch more content like this:    / @tvotoday  

Listen to the podcast:

https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/the-rund...

Check out the rest of the TVO ecosystem TVO Docs -    / @tvo   TVO Kids -    / @tvokids  

TVO Learn -    / @tvolearn  

Download the TVO Today App Apple - https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/tvo-tod... Available on: Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, LG, Amazon Fire TV

Enjoying this content and want to make a meaningful impact? Consider donating today! https://support.tvo.org/site/Donation...