Sarnia’s police chief, currently on suspension, is now under scrutiny as part of a criminal investigation initiated based on complaints from a local business owner and former city council member. The Inspectorate of Policing in Ontario forwarded the complaint to York Regional Police, an external law enforcement agency, due to potential criminal implications in the alleged events. A representative of York Regional Police confirmed that an active criminal investigation is underway but refrained from disclosing further details.
The investigation was prompted by a complaint submitted earlier this year by Nathan Colquhoun, focusing on Chief Derek Davis’ recruitment practices and personal consulting engagements. Colquhoun, the proprietor and columnist of The Sarnia Journal, stated that the complaint also raised concerns about Davis utilizing public resources to issue libel notices to The Journal. Earlier in the year, Davis initiated and then retracted a $1.5 million defamation lawsuit against Colquhoun and his local media organization.
Davis, who assumed the role of chief in 2022, had been placed on paid suspension in May following allegations of workplace harassment, which were being investigated by an external legal firm. Efforts to obtain comments from Davis by CBC News have been unsuccessful. Kelly Ash, the chair of the Sarnia Police Services Board, acknowledged the public frustration but refrained from elaborating on the criminal aspect of the situation in a statement shared on social media.
CBC News has requested a copy of the complaint and supporting documentation from Colquhoun. In the interim, Toronto’s former Deputy Police Chief Mike Federico is fulfilling the role of interim chief for the Sarnia police service during Davis’ suspension.