There are posts circulating on social media by concerned parents warning about a couple taking pictures of kids in a Toronto park.
A man was seen last week walking around Spenvalley Park near Jane and Sheppard with a laptop mounted on something that looked like an empty stroller; a woman was seen in the same park with an iPad.
When approached by worried parents they purportedly refused to show credentials and then scurried off to their vehicle.
It turns out they are hired contractors to take measurements of parks, trails and paths, as confirmed by City of Toronto Chief Communications Officer Brad Ross. "What we're going to do going forward, though, is make sure this equipment has some signage on it so that the public knows what is going on - that they're doing surveying work. We're also going to make sure they have credentials so if they are asked by the public what they are doing...they can explain it and they can demonstrate who they are and that they have credentials to give people some assurance that what they're doing is city work."
The two workers are also be spoken with on how to properly deal with concerned parents who question what they're doing with their equipment. "The contractor is aware of that and will be interviewing the workers and ensuring they understand the expectation in dealing with the public and the public has a right to know what your doing if they see something that they consider suspicious. If you say you're working for the city than you need to be able to demonstrate that and produce identification and credentials," says Brad Ross.
All photos and footage taken blurs out faces of people in the shot.