https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drfg_HNJRAc

BY JILL MAHONEY

Toronto Police will investigate a new video showing Mayor Rob Ford smoking what has been described as crack cocaine last weekend.

The Globe and Mail published photos of the mayor holding a copper-coloured pipe and reported that two of its journalists had viewed clips showing Mr. Ford taking a drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke exhaling a cloud of smoke as his right hand and arm shake uncontrollably.

Asked on Thursday if he would investigate the new video, Detective Sergeant Gary Giroux said: “I suspect we will, yeah.”

“We investigate it from any sources, including media sources. So independent sources from the community and the media – we’ll investigate.”

The video, which is part of a package of three recordings, was recorded by a drug dealer in Mr. Ford’s sister’s basement early Saturday morning.

Det. Sgt. Giroux said he will look into the mayor’s actions in the videos as part of his original high-profile probe dubbed Project Brazen 2, which began nearly a year ago after media reports surfaced of another video that apparently showed Mr. Ford smoking crack cocaine.

“Our original mandate was to determine any criminality involved in the mayor or the mayor’s office. So mainly, my focus would be on that. I would stay true to that original mandate that we had.”

OPP’s position unchanged

The Ontario Provincial Police, which withdrew from the Toronto Police probe into Mayor Rob Ford last month, had little to say about fresh news of a video showing the mayor smoking what has been described as crack cocaine on Thursday.

“We have no involvement at this time,” said OPP Sergeant Carolle Dionne, a spokeswoman for the force.

Asked whether the Toronto Police investigation into the new video would trigger the OPP’s involvement, Sgt. Dionne said such a decision would be up to the Toronto force.

“If requested by Toronto PS to assist, we would, but at this time this is an issue that belongs to Toronto Police Services,” she said.

While Toronto Police have long said the investigation known as Project Brazen 2 is ongoing, the Ontario Provincial Police said last month that it had withdrawn from overseeing the probe because of a lack of new information.

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair asked the OPP to assume an oversight role in March after criticism that his force’s investigation was politically motivated.