Pubdate: Tue, 27 Mar 2001
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 The Sydney Morning Herald
Contact:  GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001
Fax: 61-(0)2-9282 3492
Website: http://www.smh.com.au/
Forum: http://forums.fairfax.com.au/
Author: David Humphries, State Political Editor

CHECK REVEALS PREMIER IS IN THE WRONG

Four years after random drug testing of NSW police was approved by 
Parliament, none is taking place, despite the Premier's belief that 
such checks are routine.

Questioned by Channel 9 last Wednesday about the suspension of a 
senior constable who returned a positive cannabis result after a 
fatal shooting, Mr Carr said: "We have random drug and alcohol 
testing. That is something that came out of the Police Royal 
Commission. It has helped to change the culture in the police 
service."

But the police media unit confirmed yesterday that random testing was 
conducted for alcohol only. Testing for drugs was "targeted", a 
spokesman said.

The Police Association's president, Mr Ian Ball, said: "There is no 
random drug testing and there has been none."

The union supported targeted testing; "that is, in critical incidents 
such as police shootings, police pursuits and deaths in custody".

But random testing would be a waste of resources because positive 
tests did not necessarily demonstrate impairment, Mr Ball said.

A spokesman for the Police Minister, Mr Whelan, said last night: "As 
far as we're concerned, the police service has a drug and alcohol 
testing program. It's the only one in Australasia to have this."

The absence of random drug testing was examined by the Police 
Integrity Commission in February last year, when its counsel 
assisting, Mr Peter Johnson, told a hearing: "It has been an 
available statutory power for some three years but it is not being 
undertaken."

Mr Ball said only four of the 1,036 western Sydney police tested for 
drugs in 1997 returned positive readings, and those were for cannabis.

Opposition police spokesman Mr Andrew Tink said random drug testing 
was among the more important recommendations in Justice Wood's 1996 
royal commission report, "which the Premier continues to ignore".
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