Several Calgary police officers are suspected of criminal harassment and corruption and are accused of using police resources to work for a private investigation firm in the city.
The investigation started about a year ago when a woman came forward saying she was being harassed by members of the force.
Police sources told CTV News that retired CPS Drug Unit detective, Steve Walton and his wife run a private investigation firm in Calgary called Walton and Walton, which has been contracting officers for jobs like running surveillance and body guarding.
Some of the cases CTV was able to confirm involved the breakups of wealthy Alberta couples.
CTV reached out to Steve Walton who released a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying…
"I do not wish to comment on an ongoing police investigation. I trust that the Calgary Police Service will do a thorough job, as they normally do. We will see the results once this has been completed."
Two current members are accused of doing outside body guard work and, after a closer look from the Anti-corruption Unit, are alleged to have accessed police data bases, giving that information to the third party private investigation firm.
The Calgary Police Service says there may also be a third current member involved and as many as seven members in total may be caught up in the allegations.
So far, two officers have been suspended with pay and both the privacy commissioner and the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team have been notified.
Calgary police say the file will eventually go to the Edmonton Crown's office in order to determine if criminal charges will be laid.
CPS spokesperson Kevin Brookwell says there's the potential for criminal harassment charges, but internally the allegations, if true, would violate the Police Act and Police Code of Ethics.
“It’s concerning and that’s why we have a unit that is specifically set up to deal with those sensitive sort of investigations. So in that case I would say that if during the course of this investigation, or any other investigation, if we find there’s other activities like that going on, there are consequences, there’s those criminal consequences and internal consequences and we’ll deal with those as they come,” said Brookwell.
Last month, CTV News made a request under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain any records involving the detective agency and the suspended officers and on Tuesday received this response…
"This is an active investigation therefore we are denying access to these records."
According to sources, there is a second woman who also says she was followed by these former officers.
(With files from Jamie Mauracher)
