Toronto police set to get air support from province

Toronto’s chief of police and Ontario’s solicitor general will provide an update on provincial air support in the city, a little over two months after the government announced it was buying five new helicopters to fight crime in the province.

Chief Myron Demkiw will be joined by Michael Kerzner for the 11 a.m. announcement at the site of the former Downsview Airport.

In late July, Premier Doug Ford announced the province would buy the helicopters for five police forces in Ontario, including Toronto, Ottawa, Durham Region, Halton Region, and Peel Region.

While the Ontario Provincial Police will own and operate the H135 helicopters in Ottawa and Toronto, the three remaining regions will own and operate the aircrafts themselves.

The cost was initially pegged at $36 million in the last budget, but ballooned to $134 million after the province decided to buy the choppers outright, instead of leasing them.

“This new fleet of helicopters will be a massive boost for community safety,” Ford said at the time of the first announcement. “They will help keep our highways and roadways safe from violent carjackings, auto thefts, street racing, and impaired drivers. They will allow for faster and safer pursuits of stolen vehicles and help police locate and catch high-risk suspects.”

CTV News Toronto will stream the announcement live online and on the CTV News app.

With files from Codi Wilson