Edmonton Police Terminate Detective Following Major Data Breach Investigation
The Edmonton Police Service has formally dismissed Detective Daniel Behiels following a disciplinary hearing that concluded he leaked more than 50 gigabytes of sensitive case files related to a notorious inner-city crime figure. The decision, released on Tuesday, marks the culmination of a years-long saga involving allegations of corruption and preferential treatment within the police force.
Hearing Finds Actions Were "Egregious" Breach of Trust
Fred Kamins, the retired RCMP officer who presided over the hearing, characterized Behiels' actions as an "egregious" breach of trust that potentially endangered confidential informants. In his 81-page decision, Kamins rejected Behiels' claim that his actions were motivated by noble intentions, stating instead that they represented what he termed "noble cause corruption."
"Det. Behiels submitted that his actions were made with 'noble intention.' There is nothing noble in violating one's sworn duty," Kamins wrote in the decision. "To my mind, the detective's actions were akin to 'noble cause corruption,' that is, doing whatever was necessary to achieve his goal, regardless of the law."
Background: The Abdullah Shah Investigations
The leaked files centered on Abdullah Shah, also known as Carmen Pervez, a convicted mortgage fraudster and alleged drug dealer who owned numerous rental properties in Edmonton's inner city. Behiels had been involved in multiple investigations into Shah, including one dubbed Project Fisk.
In a 2021 memo to then-police chief Dale McFee, Behiels made several startling claims:
- 10 percent of Edmonton's homicides occurred in properties owned by Shah
- Shah was a patron of the Redd Alert street gang
- Many officers viewed Shah as "untouchable" due to alleged connections within the police service
Allegations of Preferential Treatment Dismissed
Kamins ultimately dismissed Behiels' allegations that Shah received preferential treatment from former EPS Superintendent Ed McIsaac. The hearing officer noted that a Calgary police investigation into the claims found "no finding of criminal activity" but did identify issues of poor communication and deficient business practices that contributed to what he called "innuendo" within the service.
The decision comes after Behiels claimed he had discovered text messages between Shah and McIsaac during an investigation into Shah's alleged attempt to place a hit on an Edmonton Remand Centre inmate. Behiels had previously reported concerns about Shah's role in the return of a stolen police badge to McFee in 2019.
Case History and Key Developments
The disciplinary hearing revealed several significant developments in the case:
- Behiels claimed his Project Fisk investigation was undermined by EPS's unusual handling of a disciplinary case against his partner, Constable Paul Kelly
- Kelly had been demoted for failing to find a body at the scene of a double homicide in a property linked to Shah
- Two key figures in the saga have since died - Shah was shot to death outside his home in March 2022 in an unsolved case, and CBC reporter Janice Johnston, who authored a five-part series based on the leaked files, died in 2023 after a brief illness
Broader Implications for Police Accountability
The case raises important questions about police accountability and internal whistleblowing procedures. While Behiels characterized his actions as an attempt to expose what he perceived as corruption, the disciplinary hearing concluded that his methods constituted a serious violation of police protocols and confidentiality requirements.
When reached by Postmedia on Tuesday, Behiels declined to comment on his dismissal. The decision brings closure to a complex case that has lingered within the Edmonton Police Service for years, highlighting the tension between individual officers' perceptions of misconduct and established procedures for addressing such concerns.
The Edmonton Police Service now faces the challenge of rebuilding trust both internally and with the public, while ensuring that legitimate concerns about police conduct can be addressed through proper channels rather than unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information.
