Mayor Tory wants input on the metal detectors and glass barriers proposed for Toronto city hall

The mayor says council needs to strike a balance between keeping city hall open while keeping visitors and staff safe.

Thestar.com
Nov. 23, 2017
By David Rider

Now that secret recommendations on city hall security are public, Mayor John Tory wants to know if Torontonians and city staff want metal detectors, bag searches and glass barriers in "a major public building with virtually no security."

Tory made the comments Thursday after the Star revealed the confidential city staff report urges airport-style security for the famous, bustling building now remarkably open to residents, tourists and those doing business with Canada's biggest city.

"I want people to feel comfortable coming in here but I also want those very same people, when they come here, and also the thousands of people who work here every day, to be safe," the mayor told reporters during a routine availability in his city hall office.

"It's 2017 and there are things happening around the world that none of us like, and deeply regret them, and they have to cause you though to think about these things."

Threat assessments from Toronto police service and Public Safety Canada warn that city hall, a symbol of Toronto and Canada, is a "target for serious threats" from "lone wolf terrorists, organized terror groups, and other individuals with grievances." The building and Nathan Phillips Square outside it, the report says, are vulnerable to "active attackers," improvised explosive devices and vehicle-borne IEDs.

Senior city staff want councillors to introduce walk-through metal detectors at the front door; hand-held wand detectors for those who set off alarms; bag inspections; a waist-high glass wall in committee rooms; and raising a glass wall in the council chamber to better protect the politicians and staff.

Some city councillors are vowing to fight the security push, calling it undemocractic and impractical given there is a public library, wedding chapel and café in city hall. Others welcome it, saying the current lack of controls makes them feel like sitting ducks.

City staff want the report to remain secret even after council votes, for security reasons. A bare-bones public version was released this week. City council could decide to make some or all of the "confidential attachment" public.

Now that details are known, Tory said, he wants feedback on where council should draw the line between openness and safety.

"I want to hear from the employees who work here, our city staff, and I want to hear from the public," he said. "What the politicians think will be fine, but I want to hear from the public about that balancing act and where you draw that line."

The report goes to Tory's executive committee that starts Tuesday. People can submit comments, and/or appear in person to make a deputation directly to the mayor's inner circle.

David Hyde, a security expert and owner of Toronto-based David Hyde & Associates, said in an interview Thursday older buildings designed to facilitate public access are tougher to secure than new ones made with security in mind.

There are ways to establish a cordon around parts of a building where the vulnerability or threat level is highest, he said.

"They may end up adjusting scheduling, or where certain groups meet, or how they enter," Hyde said. "Hopefully they can segregate this elevated security level so that it wouldn't impinge on somebody going to the daycare or going to the café. I think it can be done with some forethought."

John Sewell, a police accountability advocate and former Toronto mayor, is "very disappointed" in the city hall security push.

"I'm not aware there are that many people that violent, who are going to cause that much trouble, to require this," he said. "I like an open city hall and I think it works well."