Port Hope Police Board Member Suspended Over OPG Firearms Deal
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An investigation found Jason Wooland used his public oversight role to bypass federal procurement constraints for his employer.
Jason Wooland, the head of security for Ontario Power Generation (OPG), has been suspended without pay for six months from his position on the Port Hope police board following an investigation into misconduct, CBC News reports.
Ontario’s inspector general of policing, Ryan Teschner, determined that Wooland breached the provincial code of conduct by attempting to use the Port Hope Police Service as a "purchasing entity" to acquire firearms for OPG. According to the inspector's report, OPG was facing federal procurement constraints, and Wooland sought to leverage the municipal police service to accelerate the acquisition of weapons for armed security guards at nuclear sites.
CBC News reports that Wooland utilized "high-pressure" tactics during an October 24 meeting with senior police staff, where he offered the police service a six per cent "administrative fee" to make the deal financially attractive. The investigation further revealed that Wooland requested "inappropriate" privileged police information, including internal discipline procedures and lists of violent offenders, for his corporate role at OPG.
Despite declaring a conflict of interest, Wooland reportedly attempted to lead discussions on the proposal during a closed-door meeting in September. Inspector General Teschner rejected Wooland's claims that he acted in good faith, stating there is no such exemption for conflict provisions.
Port Hope Police Service board chair George Kallonakis told Teschner the board has decided against moving forward with the firearms acquisition. Kallonakis noted that Wooland acknowledged a different OPG representative should have presented the offer.