Pubdate: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 Source: Guardian, The (CN PI) Copyright: 2005 The Guardian, Charlottetown Guardian Group Incorporated Contact: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/174 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving) DRUNK DRIVERS NOT THE ONLY ONES IMPAIRED Police officials who are calling for more training to help police detect drug-impaired drivers make a compelling case. Police officers are running into more people driving under the influence of drugs and they need to be better equipped to deal with this trend. The obvious answer is: give them the money they need to get the job done and consider it an ongoing investment in responsible law enforcement. But will that happen? It's fair to say that when most people hear the words 'impaired driving' they think booze. But according to Charlottetown Deputy Police Chief Richard Collins, there's a growing 'target group' of people who may be impaired by either prescription or non-prescription drugs, and that neither the law nor its enforcers are equipped to deal with this phenomenon. In fact, there are only about 24 police officers across Canada, including one in P.E.I., who have the specialized training required to charge a motorist suspected of being under the influence of drugs. What makes this subject particularly relevant now is that the federal government is proposing changes that would decriminalize marijuana -- something police are concerned will lead to a the more "blatant, flagrant use" of that drug. And while the federal government is proposing legislation to the Criminal Code that would give new powers to police to crack down on drug-impaired drivers, Deputy Chief Collins says police won't be able to enforce the bill unless they're properly trained. RCMP Superintendent Russ Mirasty, who has one officer trained in drug recognition, is also calling for more training. All this boils down to money, of course, and whether there's the political will to make this special training a priority. The upcoming provincial budget, due in a month or so, will no doubt reflect the province's ability or willingness to provide the capital city or the province's police agencies with the money they need to serve their respective jurisdictions. Already the RCMP claim they're understaffed as a result of a funding cut last year. With the province's financial problems looking worse than they did last year at this time, it doesn't look like there will be a lot of extra money flowing anywhere. But should our police should stop arguing their case? Absolutely not. It simply means they'll have to be more vocal in making it. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom