Riyaz Hussein of the Toronto Police Service was dropped from the rank of superintendent to inspector in a disciplinary ruling after pleading guilty to impaired driving and crashing into another vehicle last year.JENNIFER ROBERTS/The Globe and Mail
A high-ranking Toronto police officer who previously ran the service’s disciplinary hearing process has been temporarily demoted in a ruling by that same body, after pleading guilty to impaired driving and crashing into another vehicle last year.
On Monday, Riyaz Hussein of the Toronto Police Service was dropped from the rank of superintendent to inspector. The change will last one year.
The penalty was agreed upon by both prosecution and Mr. Hussein’s lawyers through a joint submission after a guilty plea on one charge of misconduct under the Police Services Act. Hearing officer Robin McElary-Downer, retired deputy police chief of South Simcoe Police Services, accepted the agreement and said she believed Mr. Hussein to be “remorseful” for his actions.
“The higher rank we are, the harder we fall,” she said in delivering her decision.
The hearing decision followed new details revealed Monday through Freedom of Information documents obtained by CBC News about Mr. Hussein entering a lounge with a licensed bar in Toronto Police Service headquarters about three hours before the crash. CBC reported a security pass scan log showed he scanned into the lounge at 4:31 p.m. and he crashed into the vehicle just after 7:30 p.m.
Details about where Mr. Hussein consumed the alcohol before he drove and his use of the lounge that day weren’t discussed during the hearing proceedings.
When asked about his use of the lounge that day, Mr. Hussein’s legal counsel told reporters they had no comment.
According to a statement of particulars outlined in the notice of hearing, Mr. Hussein had a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit after crashing his police SUV into a vehicle while driving eastbound on Highway 401 through the City of Pickering, just east of Toronto, on the evening of Jan. 13, 2022.
An open bottle of Appleton Estate Rum was located by responding Ontario Provincial Police officers under the driver’s seat, and a sealed bottle was found on the floor of the passenger side.
Mr. Hussein pleaded guilty last October to impaired driving before the Ontario Court of Justice. He was sentenced with a 12-month driving prohibition, which included a 90-day driving suspension followed by a nine-month interlock device period where he had to provide his blood alcohol levels before driving. He was also fined $1,200 with a victim surcharge of $360.
Toronto police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said in a statement that the lounge – dubbed the Executive Officer Lounge – is accessible to senior officers and has been licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for “many years.” The service did not provide details about how often the liquor licence is used.
“The licence is used infrequently, and largely for formal functions, including retirements, or when hosting dignitaries,” Ms. Sayer wrote. “The space itself is mostly used for meetings or a quiet place to work, and any alcohol is securely stored and inaccessible to members using the room.”
The AGCO said the licence has been effective since 1989 and the lounge has had positive compliance through routine inspections. The commission hasn’t received any complaints about the lounge.
She added that alcoholic beverages in the lounge are only served by someone with Smart Serve certification, which is required by the Ontario Liquor Licence Act.
Toronto Police Service Board interim chair Ann Morgan said in a statement that the day-to-day administration of the lounge is overseen by a committee and the board has no involvement. Ms. Morgan added impaired driving is a serious offence and taken seriously by both the service and the board through several initiatives, including programs for police officers grappling with substance abuse.