Toronto police spent $7.6 million dealing with potential local convoy, figures show
Global News
Figures obtained by Global News through a freedom of information request revealed, in detail, the cost of the massive Toronto police operation during late winter and early spring.
Idling police cruisers on quiet residential streets of Toronto and out-of-service buses parked across Avenue Road, University Avenue and College Street were a common sight throughout February, 2022.
They were visual clues of a massive Toronto Police Services operation that ran from Feb. 2 to Feb. 27 in the snow-covered city — the force working to deter and discourage the kind of live-in protest or occupation that ground downtown Ottawa to a halt.
Figures obtained by Global News through a freedom of information request show Toronto police spent $7.6 million on its local operation to deter the so-called “Freedom Convoy” from occupying the city, and a further $1.2 million sending officers and resources to assist Ottawa police in both February and April.
The Toronto Police Services budget is approved by the Toronto Police Services Board and ratified by Toronto city council. The 2022 budget sits at roughly $1.1 billion.
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