Statement from Chief Peter Moreira

I welcome the Freedom of Information (FOI) release of the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) report following its multi-year investigation into the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) and the Police Service Board.

Since receiving the OCPC’s final report on July 25, 2025, both the Board and I have consistently urged the OCPC to fulfill its responsibility to publicly release its findings—just as it has done in previous investigations. My primary concern was to promote transparency, while ensuring the privacy of those who were not the subjects of the investigation was protected. I acknowledge that for many, the redactions and format of the release have not met their expectations.

Given that the DRPS and the Board were the subjects of the investigation, it would have been inappropriate for the Service to draft a public version of the report. The DRPS also has obligations as an employer, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) that it must adhere to. All of this could have been avoided had the OCPC released a public facing report.

When I accepted the role of Chief of the DRPS in 2023, I was aware that the OCPC investigation had been ongoing for several years. While I was not aware of the details, I met with key stakeholders—including the Durham Regional Police Association (DRPA) and the Senior Officer Association (SOA)—to better understand the issues that had eroded trust and confidence.

I identified issues within the organization and immediately began making meaningful changes. Over the past two and a half years, the Board and Command team have implemented significant reforms to enhance both internal and external trust. I have restructured internal processes and Command-level operations to strengthen accountability and transparency. While the OCPC report focused on a period of time under a completely different leadership team, my Command team and I are committed to learning from the report and its recommendations.

Since becoming Chief, I have cooperated fully with the OCPC, providing all requested material, save and except for those which were covered by solicitor-client privilege, a decision that was upheld by the Superior Court (Ontario Civilian Police Commission v. Moreira, 2024 ONSC 3737).
The OCPC report contains a number of recommendations that align with the changes I have already implemented since becoming the Chief.

The FOI released report has completely redacted three, and partially redacted two, of the 33 recommendations. While these redactions have raised concerns for some, I can confidently assure our members and our community that I have reviewed the report in its entirety. I am not only taking steps to implement the recommendations, but also proactively addressing additional issues that were not explicitly identified as recommendations. For example, the report identified a matter that should have triggered a notification to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). I have made that notification, which resulted in the SIU invoking its mandate.

Since receiving the report, both my office and the Board have met with the Inspector General (IG) to review the recommendations. Status reports on implementation of the recommendations will be publicly reported in accordance with the mandate of the IG. The Command team and I, have, and will continue to work closely with the IG and are committed to moving forward.

I want to thank our members and the community for their patience and support. I know that there is still more work to do, and I am committed to doing it. However, it is important to acknowledge that we are a significantly different organization today than we were when the events that gave rise to this investigation occurred. It is an honour to serve and protect Durham Region and a privilege to be your Chief—both are responsibilities I will never take lightly.