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".