A police disciplinary tribunal has recommended the formal dismissal of a suspended detective from the Edmonton Police Service for leaking confidential investigative police files to CBC News. The decision, released on Tuesday, mandates the immediate termination of former EPS detective Daniel Behiels following a disciplinary hearing convened under the Police Act.
Behiels, an 11-year veteran of the EPS, was leading a multi-year investigation into Abdullah Shah, a notorious inner city landlord, and his alleged associates. When the investigation concluded without charges in January 2021, Behiels handed over approximately 60 gigabytes of sensitive documents to a CBC journalist. Subsequently, he confessed his actions to the police chief and was placed on administrative leave in February 2021. Despite this, Behiels continued to engage with the reporter and discuss the case on social media.
During the disciplinary hearing, Behiels claimed that he believed the police were intentionally hindering the investigation into Shah’s alleged criminal activities. He alleged corruption within the higher ranks of the police service but subsequent investigations found no evidence of wrongdoing. Behiels stated that he leaked the files as a last resort after exhausting internal channels, as there was no whistleblower policy in place at the time.
The tribunal found Behiels guilty of misconduct for disobeying orders by communicating with the reporter while suspended and posting content on social media referencing the EPS, violating the service’s social media policy. The report criticized Behiels for showing a lack of genuine remorse and stated that he indicated he might repeat his actions if given the chance. Behiels, when contacted by CBC News for comment on the decision, declined to provide a statement.
Overall, the tribunal’s decision underscores the seriousness of Behiels’s misconduct and aims to set a precedent to deter similar actions in the future.
