Pubdate: Sun, 17 Jun 2007
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Betsy Powell, Crime Reporter

POLICE PROBE OFFICER OVER RAID

Toronto police have begun an internal investigation to determine
whether one of their own gave advance warning to suspects named in a
search warrant executed during last week's Project Kryptic gang sweep.

A house belonging to the officer's mother was raided last week as part
of the sweep targeting the Driftwood Crips, his lawyer, Gary Clewley,
said yesterday.

Police armed with search warrants rounded up dozens of suspects in
pre-dawn raids, but at one west-end address, neither the suspects nor
contraband they expected to find were there.

What was there were the unnamed officer's personal effects and
identification.

"He was staying there - it's his mom's place," Clewley said. "He
didn't do anything wrong."

After Wednesday's bust, the officer was hauled in and questioned by
his superiors.

Police brass produced no evidence showing he'd spilled the beans and
unless that changes that should be the end of the matter, the lawyer
said.

The officer remains on the job.

Clewley said he didn't know what police thought they'd find.

The officer's stepbrother and nephew were arrested later that day.

The officer was among the 700 officers participating in the raids that
resulted in almost 100 arrests and hundreds of drug and weapons
charges being laid.

"(There were) lots of people who knew about the warrant" so if
information was leaked, there could be all sorts of sources, Clewley
said.

The matter is under investigation and police can't comment any
further, Toronto Police spokesperson Mark Pugash said yesterday.

Most of the accused in Project Kryptic are spending the weekend behind
bars after the Crown indicated it was not ready to proceed with bail
hearings and may not be until July.

Defence lawyers representing a number of accused have filed an
application in court scheduled to be heard this week to speed up the
process.
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MAP posted-by: Derek