Toronto's police chief is concerned about the possibility of violent protests by radicals as the G20 summit nears, he said at a news conference where policing costs for the summit were outlined.
Speaking to CTV News at a meeting of the Police Services board on Friday, Police Chief Bill Blair said he is worried that protesters may resort to violence "to gain attention to themselves or their cause."
Blair said he is anticipating that protesters could destroy property by "breaking windows, burning cars, overturning street furniture" in an effort "to incite others into a violent confrontation with the police."
In Pittsburgh during the G20 meeting late in September 2009, about $50,000 in damage was caused by a minority of protesters. The property damage toll of the infamous Battle in Seattle, which occurred during the 1999 World Trade Organization talks, reached about $3 million.
Police in Pittsburgh used Long Range Acoustic Devices, which are controversial because they can cause pain and inflict hearing damage, to disperse demonstrators. It was believed to be the first use of LRADs in the United States.
Blair said his officers will have LRADs, but they will use them as a communications tool and not a weapon. The noise they emit will be kept below 100 decibels -- about the volume one would hear in the front row of an orchestra performance.
"If for example, a riot were to break out … then that's an emergent situation," he told the Toronto Police Services Board.
Toronto police have never used tear gas as a crowd control measure, Blair said, adding that he hopes those who are intent on trouble don't mix in with those exercising their right to peaceful demonstration.
Blair told the Toronto Police Services Board the entire police budget for the G20 Summit is $122 million, with over half of that coming for overtime.
Of that, $82 million will be spent on policing, including overtime and training costs, he said.
That is for 3,500 Toronto police officers and 1,600 from other municipalities for a total of 5,100 uniformed officers.
Another $40 million will be spent on non-salary costs such as clothing, equipment, facilities and housing.
Those costs will be paid for by the federal government.
The Toronto Police have cancelled all personal leaves and vacations in the period. CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss said Toronto's 3,500 officers will be working 12-hour shifts for 10 days straight.
The entire security budget for the G8 and G20 summits is expected to cost around $1 billion.
The entire Toronto police operating budget is $888 million, or about $2,433,000 per day.
The two-day G20 summit in downtown Toronto goes on June 26-27. The G8 summit in Huntsville, Ont. is on June 25.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss
