Police board talks body cameras, ‘clown guns’ and TO Olympic bid in final summer meeting

WATCH ABOVE: With the September 15th deadline fast approaching, Mayor John Tory and Police Chief Mark Saunders discuss a possible

TORONTO – The Toronto Police Service Board held its final summer meeting Thursday to discuss  some hot topics including a possible Toronto Olympic bid and the implementation of innovative new non-lethal weapons.

Interim chair Andy Pringle helmed the meeting, and Councillor Chin Lee was unanimously voted as the interim vice-chair.

Pan Am success and Olympic hopes

Members of the board were quick to tout the many successes of the Pan Am/Para Pan Am games.

But, is the board ready to back a potential Olympic bid?

Chief Mark Saunders says after the victory of the games, people are eager to see similar events happen in the city.

“I’m not sure what direction the city is going on it, but I would fully support anything,” Saunders said. “I think Toronto police has the capacity and we work well with the other agencies as well.”

Mayor John Tory has repeatedly dodged questions on an Olympic bid, saying he wouldn’t consider it until after the Para Pan Am games, which wrapped up on Saturday.

READ MORE: Panamania leaves Toronto after month-long celebrations; now what?

“In the last few days I’ve been talking to quite a significant number of community leaders in different walks of life, business, labour, non-profit sector and asking for their views on this,” Tory said. “I’m not going to be providing  interim reports because every conversation you have brings a new conversation on this.”

Tory says a review is expected in the near future.

“Council will have a right to approve or not approve a bid being made to host the Olympics and that will happen in due course.”

The deadline for the Olympic bid is Sept. 15.

‘Clown guns’ coming to Toronto?

The board also discussed new non-lethal weapon options, as recommended in a coroner’s inquest into the death of Donald Thompson, who was fatally shot by police in April 2013.

Tory urged police to embrace non-lethal weapons and other modes of conflict de-escalation.

“I think there is a need for more training with respect to de-escalation so that you don’t to use weapons at any time,” Tory said. “Use your brain and your mouth and your skills that many of our officers already have and they will have more.”

Earlier this week, Police representatives were said to be reportedly meeting with California-based Alternative Ballistics, the manufacturers of the  so-called “clown gun,” which slows a guns first shot to only strike a target, but not penetrate it.

READ MORE: Toronto cops considering ‘clown gun’ technology

Saunders says he is considering different options to avoid arrests with fatal outcomes.

“Any tool that we can use that would benefit that successful outcome is going to be a tool that we would look at  and see if it would assist us in our day-to-day process,” he said.

Saunders said he’s also considering sock rounds, another non-lethal projectile fired from a shotgun, that would allow officers to “effectively de-escalate situations where we are dealing with people with offensive weapons.”

Saunders is expected to provide a report on recommendations to the board in the fall.

Body cameras

The body-worn camera pilot project is well underway after its launch on May 18, 2015.

Approximately 100 officers in both 43 and 55 division are testing out equipment and as of Aug. 7, over 5,000 videos were recorded.

A survey was conducted to test the community response to the pilot project and was delivered to 20,000 randomly selected homes and businesses within 43 and 55 division.

The online survey says 54 per cent of people strongly support Toronto police operating with body cameras, while seven per cent strongly do not support the project.

Saunders will report back to the board come September with further information on pilot project results.