Police misconduct charges dropped in failed search
• Two Toronto police officers accused of not searching thoroughly enough for a young woman who went missing and was later found dead nearly seven years ago had their misconduct charges withdrawn Monday after the force said they had accepted responsibility for their actions.
Const. Michael Jones and Const. Alan Mccullough will instead face discipline at the unit level in the case of Tess Richey as part of a restorative resolution, which will include being docked 40 hours of pay, a police disciplinary tribunal heard. The constables have also agreed to help improve police training regarding missing persons by speaking to recruits about their experience and lessons learned from the case, the tribunal heard.
“The service consulted with Tess Richey’s family throughout the process. Our deepest sympathies remain with Tess Richey and her family, who endured an unimaginable loss,” Toronto police wrote in a statement.
The officers “have taken full responsibility for their actions” and the tribunal’s decision “reflects a commitment to both accountability and continuous improvement at the service,” the statement added.
Richey’s own mother discovered her body days after she disappeared.
A lawyer representing Mccullough told the hearing the resolution means there is no finding of misconduct in the case.
Lawrence Gridin said the incident occurred “as a result of systemic failures in the way that missing persons cases were handled in 2017,” and the force has made significant improvements since then.
“Const. Mccullough looks forward to being part of those positive changes, and he’s looking forward to contributing to making the Toronto Police Service better for the benefit of all those who are missing and all those who care about them,” the lawyer said.
A lawyer representing Jones said the case has been “a significant learning experience” for her client.
Richey, 22, went missing in November 2017 after a night out with a friend in a neighbourhood known as Toronto’s gay village.
Days later, her body was found in an outdoor stairwell metres from where she had last been seen.
Kalen Schlatter was found guilty of first-degree murder in Richey’s death in 2020.
(THE OFFICERS) HAVE TAKEN FULL RESPONSIBILITY. — TORONTO POLICE