4.2.0Police working during the G20 summit here this month will have rubber bullets, police dogs and sound cannons at their disposal when dealing with protesters.
The Integrated Security Unit, comprising officers from Toronto police, Ontario Provincial Police, Peel Regional Police and the RCMP, on Thursday showed off these tools during a massive security briefing for the media.
The ISU said officers within the downtown-Toronto summit zone — an area around the Metro Toronto Convention Centre that is bordered by a three-metre-high metal fence — will patrol by foot, horseback, bicycle, air and car.
Surveillance will also be carried out by a marine unit on Lake Ontario and with 33 police dogs.
Police on Thursday defended the four controversial sound cannons that were purchased for the summit.
The ISU maintains the long-range acoustic devices (LRADs) will only be used as a “communications tool” and not as a weapon against protesters.
These sound cannons, similar to ones used during last year’s summit in Pittsburgh, can emit an ear-splitting and painful blast of sound of up 140 decibels in some cases, which opponents say makes them more of a crowd control device or weapon than a means of communication.
Toronto police Staff Insp. Bill Neadles, said 24 officers have been trained to use the cannons and they will only send three-to five-second long “alerts” before a message by police is played. Police will use the megaphone function of the cannons to direct crowds.
He said the cannon controversy has been grossly exaggerated.
“It’s not the sound cannon that everyone thought it was,” said Neadles. “We might have to crank that up a little higher to get their attention, but we’re comfortable with it as a communication device. It’s safe and will ensure that we get our message out.”
Three of the cannons are hand-held, each with the capacity of reaching 120 decibels. These will only be used from a three-metre distance from the public and behind a wall of other officers.
All officers will be wearing ear protection, said Neadles.
A fourth, larger sound cannon, which can reach 140 decibels, will be mounted on a boat and used to relay messages from Lake Ontario. The LRADs have the ability to be heard from up to 2.5 kilometres away.
The commonly accepted pain threshold is between 110 and 120 decibels.
Vancouver police also bought one of the devices last year, but after protests disabled the feature allowing it to send painful sounds and said it would be used only as a loud-hailer.
Lt.-Col. Liam McGarry said soldiers will be on foot patrol at Pearson airport and armoured vehicles will be used for surveillance in the outlying areas before and after the summits.
As many as 1,100 private security guards will also be screened and hired to help the ISU inside the buildings where the meetings between the world leaders will take place.
The Harper government estimates the summits could cost $830 million. But Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has since said his government is projecting costs of $930 million.
The bill has ignited a firestorm from Opposition parties, who say the hefty cost is related to poor planning and an overreaction to anticipated security risks during the summits.
For the 2008 G8 summit in Japan, security costs were $381 million, while for the 2009 London G20 summit, security costs were $30 million.
The G20 will be held June 26-27 in Toronto, while the community of Huntsville, north of the city, will host the G8 from June 25-26.
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