Months after Toronto's chief promised a quick and public investigation into allegations that senior officers were sweeping police wrongdoings under the carpet, the finished report has still not been made public.

But CBC News has learned that an internal probe's mandate was so narrow that that even if its findings were publicized, little would be revealed.

Sgt. Jim Cassells accused police brass of covering up, refusing to investigate or burying cases of supervisors turning a blind eye to alleged police brutality, complaints and internal corruption.
(CBC)

Last spring, Sgt. Jim Cassells, a 29-year police veteran, accused supervisors of failing to follow up on numerous cases unearthed by an RCMP-led special task force he belonged to from 2001 to 2004.

Cassells accused police brass of covering up, refusing to investigate or burying cases of supervisors turning a blind eye to alleged police brutality, public complaints and internal corruption.

The special task force probed numerous allegations that drug squad officers stole drugs and cash while arresting drug dealers. Charges were laid against six officers in 2004.

But a year ago, Cassells complained to supervisors about a list of additional cases implicating numerous other officers, he said.

Angry no one else was charged, he went to the media in early May.

"Just because they sweep something under the carpet doesn't make it right," said Cassells. "For me, my personal integrity, I just couldn't sit back any longer."

Internal review ordered by chief

Toronto police Chief Bill Blair responded in May by ordering a "procedural review" and appointed York Regional Police homicide Insp. Mark Tatz to lead the internal affairs probe into the allegations.

Blair says the scope of the review was "to examine the process by which decisions were made."

But the CBC has learned that under that procedural review, Tatz was told not to investigate any case unearthed by the special task force.

He was also told not to interview the six Toronto drug cops criminally charged as a result of the special task force's work.

Tatz interviewed Cassells, a key investigator on the anti-corruption task force, but none of the other 24 officers on team, nor the RCMP officer in charge.

Blair defended the review of the task force, saying the investigation was conducted according to mandate.

"Many of those matters are still currently before the courts and so it was not appropriate … to conduct an investigation beyond the scope of examining the processes to determine if they were, in fact, followed correctly," said Blair.

'Reason to believe there is a coverup'

But Toronto lawyer Peter Biro, who represented clients who sued Toronto police for alleged mistreatment by drug squad officers and has followed the police corruption scandals, questioned the internal probe.

'There is good reason to believe there is a coverup.'-Toronto lawyer Peter Biro

"At least conduct interviews with the relevant people," Biro said. "At least ask some questions before you decide you are going to close the books.…

"There is good reason to believe there is a coverup."

Blair received the finished review in late August then passed it on to retired Ontario Superior Court justice George Ferguson to get advice.

The police chief said he would make the review's findings public at the Toronto Police Services Board's next meeting on Nov. 28.