Independent G20 policing review ordered

The Toronto Police Services Board has approved an independent review of police tactics during the G20 protests.

The board, a civilian agency overseeing the police force, met Tuesday morning to discuss oversight of police actions during the summit.

The CBC'sLisa Naccarato, reporting from the meeting, said the board will decide on the scope of the review in two weeks at the latest. Police services chair Alok Mukherjee will draw up a short list of candidates, and the board will vote on their choice by then.

A handful of activists disrupted the meeting, yelling "shame!" and demanding more consultation from the police.

Coun. Adam Vaughan, who sits on the board, told CBC's Metro Morning before the meeting thatthe review will not be a full public inquiry, but said "an independent person [will be] heading that review."

Vaughansaid "we'll be looking for people outside the police service board to conduct that review because I think the public wants independence on this."

Civil liberties groups, protesters and journalists have called for a public inquiry in the wake of the police handling of the G20 protests June 26-27. Some protesters acted violently,vandalizing downtown storefronts and setting two police cruisers alight.

More than 900 people were arrested during the protests over the weekend.

Criticism was especially strong of police tactics onthe evening of June 27, in which about 500 people were hemmed in by hundreds of riot police at the intersection of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue for several hours in the pouring rain.

Hundreds of officers from across the country helped handle the protests, including Quebec police, members of the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and Toronto police.

Toronto police have alreadysaid they will conductan internal review of police actions.