'We will not stand for this': OPP brass comments after 3 officers charged

The senior Ontario Provincial Police officer for Eastern Ontariowants the public to trust the vast majority of officers he says do "exemplary" work every day, even ifthree long-time constables working out of the same Brockville detachmenthave beencharged in an 18-month investigation into alleged criminal activity by police.

Chief Supt. Daniel Redmond said the fact the force conducted this kind of investigation and charged three of its own should help to build thatpublictrust.

"As I hope you see with the charges today...we take this seriously,"Redmond told a gathering of reporters Tuesday afternoon, addressing the charges laid against three officers in the last few weeks."We will not stand for this inside our ranks."

FellowOPP officerssuppliedinformation for ProjectArrowtown, which has now concluded, said Redmond. The local Leeds County detachment, theOPP'sorganized crime enforcement bureau, and theOPP'sprofessional standards bureau all helped in the investigation that ledto the arrests, as did the RCMP and Montreal Police.

Eight civilians alsoface a range of charges, including trafficking marijuana and cocaine, and possession of the proceeds of crime.

The three officers charged during Project Arrowtown are:

• Const. George Duke,52, a 20-year member of the force. Duke, who is from Brockville, faces a number of charges includingoftheft over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crimeover $5,000, breach of trust, unlawful possession of a restricted firearm, unsafe storage of a firearm, unsafe storage of ammunition, possession of a firearm without a licence and possession of schedule two substance.
• Const. Jason Redmond, 36, a 10-year OPP veteranfrom Lyn, Ont.Redmondhas been charged withthree counts of trafficking marijuana, forgery, breach of trust and obstruction of justice. He is not related to Chief Supt. Daniel Redmond.
• Const. David Vogelzang, 41, a 16-year member of the force. Vogelzang, fromElizabethtown, Ont.,has been charged withobstruction of justice.

As per the Police Services Act, all three officers were suspended with pay after the charges were laid.

Redmond noted that the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, of which his commissioner is a member, has been lobbying to have the province re-open that law and allow police services to suspend officers without pay in some seriouscases.

Both Duke andVogelzangearned slightly more than $100,000 in 2014, according to Ontario's salary disclosures.

Duke and Vogelzangdo not have blemish-free service records. Duke was convicted in 2005of discreditable conduct aftera disciplinary hearing.Vogelzangtoo was found guilty of discreditable conduct and of unlawful or unnecessary use of force in a disciplinary hearing after an incident on Hwy. 401in 2010, when he pulled over and handcuffed a motorist in an arrest an OPP adjudicator later deemed unlawful.

At the same time, both Duke andVogelzangwere recognized in 2008 by being given Accolade Awards in the enforcement category. Those awards arehanded out annually to officers for promoting compliance of the law or for providing quality service.

'We will not stand for this'

There is a culture of allegiance in law enforcement,Redmondacknowledged, which is importantwhen officers' jobs can put them in harm's way.

Those bonds don't mean fellow officers will protect them in questionable circumstances, said Redmond, who promised the force wouldtake action against any officer who abused their powers or broke the law.

And while he stated his support for the rest of the employees at theLeeds County detachment, the top officer said he'sdisappointed three officers are charged and face court dates in December and in January.

"We all take the same oath when we begin our careers in the OPP and I abide by that oath," said Redmond, emphasizing the vast majority of officers also abide by their oaths through to retirement.

The Project Arrowtowninvestigation was launched inMay 2014. Police seized cocaine, marijuana and cash after executing search warrants at seven different locations in Front ofYongeTownship including five on County Road 5 near Mallorytown, Ont., within a two-minute drive of each other.