A 16-year Toronto police officer with the Guns and Gangs Task Force has been charged after cocaine was allegedly found in his wallet that was left behind at a Scarborough courthouse.
Police said the officer attended the courthouse on Sept. 19 as a witness for a matter related to his duties. After appearing in court, the officer left, and forgot his wallet.
The wallet was found by another Toronto police officer who checked for identification. That’s when a small quantity of cocaine was found inside the wallet, police said. Officers added the cocaine was unrelated to the officer’s duties.
Police said the Toronto Police Service Professional Standards Unit was notified and started a criminal investigation.
Det. Const. Kirk Blake was charged with one count of possession of a narcotic.
Toronto police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray told Global News Blake has been suspended with pay in accordance with the province’s Police Services Act. She said after the matter is resolved in court, he could potentially face a Police Services Act tribunal hearing.
He is scheduled to appear in a Toronto court on Feb. 9.