A multi-year investigation into Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) and the Police Service Board, has been released — but is still a secret to the public.
“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,” said DRPS Chief Peter Moreira.
“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.”
The report was released by Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC).
“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,” Chief Moreira said.
Significant Reforms
Chief Moreira said that when he accepted the role of Chief of the DRPS in 2023, he was aware that the OCPC investigation had been ongoing for several years. While he was not aware of the details, he 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.
He stated that he 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.
Internal processes and command-level operations were restructured 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).”
OCPC Recommendations
The Police Chief states that the OCPC report contains a number of recommendations that align with the changes that have already been implemented. The FOI released report has completely redacted three, and partially redacted two, of the 33 recommendations. These were not listed.
“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.”
Since receiving the report, Chief Moreira 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” he added.
Chief Peter Moreira also impressed the importance of acknowledging 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.”
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