Police weigh surveillance and public safety in Project South probe

Toronto police investigators faced a difficult balance in Project South, a corruption probe that included surveillance of officers accused of drugrelated conduct. According to court filings described by CBC, some of the officers were allegedly seen drinking and using cocaine in vehicles while under watch in late 2025. The investigation began in June 2025 after York Regional Police disrupted an alleged plot to kill a senior corrections officer at Toronto South Detention Centre. As the case expanded, investigators used wiretaps and surveillance to examine alleged criminal activity involving police officers and civilians. Experts interviewed by CBC said investigators must weigh the risk of exposing a larger operation against the need to protect the public. Former Toronto detective Hank Idsinga and lawyer David Butt both said public safety should remain the main concern, even if that means intervening and potentially affecting the investigation.