The Toronto Police Service headquarters in Toronto on May 17.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press
A Toronto Police Service officer has been accused of misconduct for allegedly telling her nephew to leave the scene of a car crash before investigators could determine whether alcohol was a factor.
During a police discipline hearing on Tuesday, Inspector Joyce Schertzer said she will enter a plea at a follow-up hearing in January.
A notice of hearing document outlining the internal allegations was released ahead of the brief hearing. Insp. Schertzer faces three misconduct charges at the Toronto Police Service tribunal: discreditable conduct for failing to conduct a thorough investigation; insubordination for putting herself in an alleged conflict of interest; and neglect of duty for failing to keep a notebook about the events in question.
None of the allegations have been proven.
Insp. Schertzer has served as a commander in charge of officers working out of 11 Division, a police precinct centred around High Park. In May, a collision occurred in 14 Division, an adjacent precinct.
“On May 1, 2022, you were working at 11 Division when you received a call from your daughter that your nephew was in a ‘bad accident,’” reads the charge sheet addressed to Insp. Schertzer. “You arranged for an officer from your division to be ‘dispatched’ to 14 Division and you attended the scene.”
Insp. Schertzer was the first Toronto Police officer to speak to her nephew, the charging document says. It alleges she inserted herself in the investigation “for the benefit of your family.”
“You then had a private conversation with the investigating officer and your nephew was advised he could leave the scene,” the document says. Traffic services officers who arrived later “did not have the opportunity to determine whether alcohol might be a contributing factor to the collision.”
If the misconduct allegations are proven, a hearing officer will determine penalties. Misconduct charges most often result in a reprimand or additional training for police, though more serious punishments may result.
The notice of hearing documents do not specify whether the nephew was charged with a crime. It says city property was damaged in the collision.
Insp. Schertzer remains on duty and working out of 11 Division. A few years ago, she was a high-profile detective on the homicide squad and often appeared in public to announce arrests or appeal for witnesses.
Colin Freeze