Dozens of police face discipline over G20 ID badges

About 90 police officers face disciplinary action for not wearing identification badges during the G20 summit in June, the chief of the Toronto Police Service said Wednesday.

Bill Blair made the comment during an appearance in Ottawa at a meeting of the House of Commons' public safety committee, which is looking into issues surrounding the G8/20 summits that took place in Huntsville and Toronto.

Blair told MPs that failing to wear an ID badge was a violation of his personal rule, and that anyofficer who chose not to wear ID would be held accountable.

"If an individual officer chose not to wear it, he is breaking a rule," Blair said.

Blair said 13 public complaints were received about officers not wearing ID badges during the summit weekend, and that he directed that an investigation take place. Disciplinary action against the officers was launched after investigators sifted through more than 20,000 hours of videotape, he said.

Blair told the MPs the nametags are attached by Velcro and suggestedthat some of them may have been dislodged during struggles, but others may have removed purposely by officers.

"I believe some officers removed it so they would not be identifiable," Blair said.

The penalty for not wearing the ID badge had yet to be determined, the police chief added, but it could include the loss of a day's pay.

About 1,100 people were arrested during the G20 summit weekend inToronto, but only 308 were charged. Charges against about 100 others were dropped on Oct. 15.