Toronto tunnel: Officer's 'call us' tweet stirs up social media

A Toronto police officer whose tweet about the mysterious tunnel went viral on social media says he hopes the lighthearted appeal will stir up tips for investigators.

Staff Sgt. Chris Boddy drew international attention Tuesday with his tweet: "If you built a tunnel near Rexall Centre in Toronto give us a call, k?"

The tongue-in-cheek message — which ends with the main, non-emergency phone number for the Toronto Police Service — was shared by thousands on social media and was also featured in newscasts in Canada and abroad.

The 24-year veteran of the Toronto force, who followed news of the tunnel's discovery despite being on a weeklong break from work, said he thinks the message resonated with people because they "don't expect to see that from a cop."

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"Cops are just people too, but we wear a uniform — that's kind of one of my goals in using social media, to remind people of that and to keep it real," he said.

Substantial leads 

Police continue to appeal to the public, especially people who live near the Rexall Centre and the York University campus, for help in finding who is responsible for the tunnel. 

Investigators tell CBC News they have received a number of tips and have some substantial leads.

The lead investigator on this case, it's now known, is part of the Specialized Criminal Investigation Unit. That unit is described online as being responsible for investigations involving forensic identification, hold-ups, homicide and sex crimes — an indication the Toronto Police Service wants its best people on the case.