Citing a “potential risk to public safety,” Toronto police increased their presence in the downtown core Thursday.Insp. Michael Barksy wouldn’t elaborate on what information led police to make this move.While emphasizing that Torontonians should go about their day as normal, police increased the number of officers in the downtown core. “We encourage people to come and enjoy all the venues they would normally enjoy,” Barksy told reporters. Toronto police sent out a vague tweet at 9:30 a.m. that there will be more officers in downtown Toronto because of an “unconfirmed, uncorroborated piece of information.” Several police units, including tactical, had been spotted around the Rogers Centre where the conference took place. Barsky said he would not be able to comment on the nature of the “risk” or give any details about the investigation, but said that the police presence would remain throughout the rest of the day. There will be no disruption to a Foo Fighters concert happening at Rogers Centre tonight. Regarding the initial tweet, Const. Caroline de Kloet said they “always err on the side of caution in regards to the fact that people might be concerned that they see more police presence out there.”John Tory’s office said the mayor has been briefed by police Chief Mark Saunders and “he will be continuing to monitor the situation.”At Queen’s Park, Premier Doug Ford said his office is “aware of the reported potential threat in the city of Toronto.”“While the information is unsubstantiated, the premier has been briefed by the provincial security advisor and is actively monitoring the situation,” Ford said in a tweet.“Our officials remain in close contact with federal and municipal security partners,” he said.Anne Marie Aikins, spokesperson for Metrolinx, said that police had made them aware of an “uncorroborated threat” early in the ...
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