Police chief asked for report on layoffs

A Toronto city councilor wants the city's police chief to prepare a report that examines how laying off 500 officers would affect the force.

Coun. Michael Thompson who is vice-chair of the Police Services board also wants to know the impact of laying off 300 civilian members

The request, made to police chief Bill Blair, comes as the city of Toronto grapples with an $800-million budget shortfall.

Blair said any reduction in staffing would be a step back for the city.

"There is a certain threshold," he told CBC News on Monday. "If we go below those staffing levels, some of the things that weve been able to do, the last 400 or 500 police officers that weve hired, have all been deployed out into the neighbourhoods. Theyre in uniform, theyre in our communities, theyre on foot, theyre on bikes, they are working. If we start losing some of those officers, our ability to do that could be compromised."

Policing costs account for a significant portion of the city's operating budget.

For 2012, the police are requesting a 4.2 increase in their budget.