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Sudbury police officers helping out during Pope?s visit

Four officers with the Greater Sudbury Police Service are in Toronto providing extra security for this weekÂ?s World Youth Day and the visit of Pope John Paul. Police from 14 jurisdictions in the province are assisting with security measures.
Four officers with the Greater Sudbury Police Service are in Toronto providing extra security for this weekÂ?s World Youth Day and the visit of Pope John Paul.

Police from 14 jurisdictions in the province are assisting with security measures.

Sudbury Insp. Susan Evans said the officers will be involved in security along the papal route and in crowd control for several events Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

It is estimated as many as 250,000 youth pilgrims will be attending World Youth Day celebrations.

The weekÂ?s events will culminate in a papal mass at Downsview Park Sunday, which is expected to draw as many as one million people.

Evans said the papal visit is viewed as a Â?benign religious eventÂ? despite the estimates of large crowds, and world-wide media attention.

This however Â?does not mean that something couldnÂ?t happen,Â? she said.

Tight security is already in place for all aspects of the pontiffÂ?s visit; for example, the papal helicopter will be accompanied by three military helicopters for the papal mass Sunday.

A small number of plain-clothes Israeli-trained guards always accompany the pope on his travels.

The Sudbury officers will be assist with security and crowd control during the Way of the Cross ceremony up University Avenue Friday evening.

The four local officers will also assist with crowd control during the Vigil of Pilgrims prior to the papal mass Sunday at Downsview.

Const. Eric Dubreuil of the local police service has also been chosen to be the local police serviceÂ?s representative in the honour guard to see the pope depart from Pearson Airport Monday morning.

Dubreuil has been with the Greater Sudbury Police Service for 11 years.