Mayor John Tory says he first learned police were using Stingray surveillance devices a year ago when he believes one was used to identify someone making threats against his life.

Tory told reporters at an unrelated press conference in Rexdale that he became aware police were using the controversial tool about a year ago.

An IMSI catcher or mobile device identifier can be used to target the location of a specific phone. The device intercepts all mobile devices within range by acting like a cellphone tower, tricking those devices into being routed through it.

Toronto police previously said they have not used a Stingray and do not have one of the devices. But documents obtained by the Star and detailed in a story Monday reveal officers have used the device in five separate investigations.

“I wasn’t even really aware of the issue involving those machines, to be honest with you, I was just aware that they had access to the machines or they were available,” Tory said in response to questions from the Star on Tuesday.

Tory said police alerted him to a threat about a year ago. He said he wasn’t certain the device he heard about is the same one now being reported on, but said it had “something to do with cellphones and what not that helped them in this case to identify who was issuing threats against me.”

The mayor said he was not aware police had originally denied they were using the devices until he read the Star’s story this week.

Tory, who is also a member of the police board, said talk about the device never came up at the board and that he didn’t know whether it was something within the board’s purview.

“I’m a lawyer, but I don’t know whether this fits in as sort of a grey zone or in some zone or other,” he said, adding he hasn’t had time to research the legal questions.

The Star has asked a police spokesperson to comment on the use of the device related to a threat against Tory, whether charges were ever laid and more specific information. Answers were not given before deadline.

It took more than two years and an official appeal for the Star to obtain documents about the device that showed police were lying about the use of the devices.

IMSI catchers have been called a form of “mass surveillance” and experts say their use has historically been shrouded in secrecy. Some devices can capture private communications or jam phones within range. The documents obtained by the Star suggest the devices police used were not capturing private communications.

In two of the cases where Toronto police used an IMSI catcher, it is not clear what the investigation was about. Specifics were not provided in the documents because “one of the incidents is currently before the courts and the other is still under investigation.”

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The other three instances, though information is limited, do not appear to relate to the mayor.

With files from Kate Allen, Wendy Gillis and Jayme Poisson

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