As Toronto mayor, Rob Ford (open Rob Ford's policard) was allowed to use city hall security officers as private bodyguards, and at least one of them helped hide his substance abuse, a bombshell city ombudsman report is expected to say.

Two sources with knowledge of Fiona Crean’s probe of city security conduct, to be released Thursday, say a security officer placed a hand over a CCTV camera to keep it from recording Ford staggering through city hall during one of his bouts of alcohol or drug abuse.

Crean will also describe chaotic public scenes in which actions — or non-actions — by security officials threatened the safety of media, politicians, city staff and members of the public, the independent sources say.

They include the November 2013 city council meeting where security stood by as Ford and his brother, then-councillor Doug Ford, baited people in the public gallery. Minutes later a charging Rob Ford (open Pam McConnell's policard)knocked over petite Councillor Pam McConnell (open Pam McConnell's policard), which she says gave her a fat lip and whiplash.

In March 2014 Ford, surrounded by security officers, yelled, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,” and shoved a news photographer hard while charging up a stairway as reporters followed, asking about the crack scandal.

Crean’s report highlights serious questions about the oversight of corporate security by senior officials and ultimately city manager Joe Pennachetti. The report will be presented at next week’s city council meeting, which will be Pennachetti’s last before he retires at the end of a much-admired career.

Crean refused comment Tuesday, saying in an email she “can’t confirm the tabling of any report with council before the matter goes public.” Last year she confirmed launching the probe after receiving multiple complaints.

One source said the city official in charge of corporate security tried to deflect blame by noting the city hall press gallery verbally complained about security after the stairway melee, but failed to follow up in writing.

Given all the video evidence, and the fact that news stories noted a Globe and Mail photographer was knocked down, Crean’s office did not put much stock in the justification, the source said.

David Nickle, president of the press gallery, told the Star, “I did file a verbal report and neglected to file a written report … It was an oversight on my part.”

In reply to questions emailed to Pennachetti, city spokeswoman Jackie DeSouza said: “It was an unprecedented time ‎and city hall security was placed in a difficult position a number of times during the last administration.

“The city is committed to continuous improvement and will ‎work collaboratively with the Office of the Ombudsman throughout the implementation of the recommendations.”

After an internal security review in 2014, guards were given extra training on crowd-control tactics, and one was transferred out of city hall.

During his chaotic 2010-2014 mayoral term, Ford, now a post-rehab councillor fighting cancer, had a complicated relationship with security. Some officers were too scared to file a formal incident

report after St. Patrick’s Day 2014, when a slurring Ford vowed to “get” a guard who had internally reported the mayor’s intoxication and belligerence on the same holiday two years prior.

McConnell said Tuesday that she expects Crean, whose office investigates the actions of city staff, will be as “thorough and thoughtful” as she has been in previous investigations.

Apparently trying get to Doug Ford, Rob Ford ran into McConnell’s shoulder and, according to the councillor, gave her whiplash that required 18 months of physiotherapy. She said she was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after having to leave a later meeting where Ford pantomimed knocking her down again.

“It really is about trying to change behaviour and ensuring safety and security in the workplace,” said McConnell, who was interviewed by Crean’s office as part of the probe. “I shouldn’t have to look over my shoulder to see if a raging bull is coming at me.”

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Local activist Jude MacDonald, who was in the front row of the council gallery at the November 2013 meeting, was also interviewed.

She said there was a “thick sense of potential violence” when, as council debated stripping Ford of his powers, he walked to the gallery with aide Jerry Agyemang, an ex-security officer who was videotaping the crowd.

Soon both Fords were there, yelling “union baiting” comments and, with security and senior city staff doing nothing, it was Councillor Mark Grimes (open Mark Grimes's policard) who intervened and tried to get them back to their chairs.

“I hope that we, as a city, don’t do the lazy thing and say what happened during the Ford administration was an aberration and we don’t need to learn from it,” MacDonald said. “I hope we do have checks and balances to ensure people who come to city hall feel safe and secure and respected.”