Pubdate: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Copyright: 2005, The Globe and Mail Company Contact: http://www.globeandmail.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168 Author: Gloria Galloway Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?216 (CN Police) HIGH-RISK OFFICERS FACE PSYCHOLOGICAL, DRUG TESTS Union Vows To Fight Decision In Court Citing Lack Of Evidence That Problems Exist The Toronto Police Association promises to take the force to court in its battle to prevent officers entering high-risk jobs from being tested for drug abuse, psychological problems and financial difficulties. "The association will fight this," said Dave Wilson, president of the 7,700-member police union. "It's fundamentally unacceptable to us that this is going on and we will fight it in every way we can." The measures were recommended last April by retired judge George Ferguson who was asked three years ago by Chief Julian Fantino to review the force's policies and practices after allegations against six former drug-squad officers. The allegations later resulted in about 40 charges including theft, perjury and extortion. Mr. Ferguson made 32 recommendations, including such things as a better recruitment strategy. The vast majority of them have been implemented. But requiring members of the force who are entering high-risk jobs -- undercover duties, emergency task force positions, and drug-squad posts -- to undergo drug tests, psychological assessments and financial reviews remained a point of contention. Weekly meetings of an implementation committee chaired by Chief Fantino and Mr. Ferguson, who was given expanded duties to ensure that his recommendations were enacted, could not resolve the impasse. So the outgoing chief announced yesterday that the tests would become mandatory as of March 1, despite the objections of the police association. "I think that we have reached a point in time when we have to move forward," he said. Chief Fantino praised the work of the police association and the Senior Officers' Organization saying that they had been very active in trying to reach a solution. He said he respected their position and did not discount to possibility of a court case. "We're going to have to deal with the reaction when it comes." But, as for the testing, "I feel it's the right thing to do for the right reasons. The only intention from the outset has been to protect our members who are assigned to high-risk assignments, to ensure the integrity of the police service is not compromised and to preserve the public trust." The issue will go to the police board, where modifications to policy are made, on Jan. 24. In the meantime, the union will be doing what it can to halt the plan. Mr. Wilson said all of the checks are personal intrusions. "They not only impact the individual employee but also the family." Little would be gained by putting the whole force through tests designed to weed out a few who have gone astray, Mr. Wilson argued. Instead, he said, it would be more beneficial to watch for any problems and act on them directly. In releasing his report, Mr. Ferguson conceded that problems were not pervasive within the force, despite two other police-corruption scandals that came to light last year and resulted in dozens of criminal charges and charges under the Police Service Act. "Why do we need to have these [tests]?" Mr. Wilson asked. "There has been no evidence brought forward, and we've requested it, to show that there is a systemic problem or a real problem in the Toronto Police Services." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek