Toronto police closing bar at headquarters
CBC
A licensed fully stocked bar inside a lounge for senior officers at the Toronto Police Service's headquarters is being closed, police confirmed to CBC Toronto on Sunday. The decision comes after CBC Toronto reported an officer entered the lounge hours before being charged with impaired driving.
The chief's office and Executive Officers Lounge Committee notified senior officers in May that the bar's liquor license would not be renewed, a police spokesperson said in an email. Police have not linked the closure to CBC's reporting or the impaired driving charges brought against Supt. Riyaz Hussein .
The Executive Officers Lounge was first issued a liquor licence at the 40 College St. headquarters in 1989, according to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
"Moving forward, the service will apply for a special occasions permit from the AGCO should we decide to host an event where alcohol may be served," the spokesperson said.
A special occasions permit is required any time liquor is offered for sale somewhere other than a licensed establishment, according to the AGCO's website.
In April, a CBC Toronto investigation reported Supt. Riyaz Hussein entered the lounge about three hours before he crashed his service-issued SUV into another vehicle in Pickering, Ont., and was charged with impaired driving in January 2022. It's unclear how long Hussein was in the Executive Officers Lounge and whether or not he drank in the room.
Hussein, who headed the police service's disciplinary tribunal, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to driving with a blood-alcohol level over 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood in connection to the crash. He was sentenced to a one-year driving prohibition and fined $1,560.
Police said the alcohol license was used infrequently, "largely for formal functions like retirements or when hosting dignitaries."
The Toronto Police Association supports the decision, Jon Reid, its president, said in an emailed statement.
"It has always been our strong desire that command and senior officers lead by example in both their actions and accountability," Reid said.
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