PATROL TO TEST OFFICERS FOR DRUGS

State Police Hope To Boost Public Trust

The Colorado State Patrol will begin random drug testing of troopers,
communications officers and other officials in an effort to "reinforce the
public's trust and confidence" in the agency. Patrol Chief Lonnie Westphal
told lawmakers on the state's budget panel Wednesday that while no
particular incident led to the decision, State Patrol employees share the
same problems as society in general, including problems with drugs and alcohol.

"We think it's the prudent thing to do ... to make sure they're not using
illegal drugs or prescription drugs," Westphal told the six lawmakers on
the Joint Budget Committee. "It will give us an idea whether we're dealing
with truthful or untruthful persons and whether an investigation is needed."

About 10 percent of the patrol's 975 employees will be tested annually at a
cost of $11,250 a year, he said.

That's in addition to the initial drug testing and polygraph examinations
that State Patrol employees undergo when they join up.

On the public safety front, Westphal said that because auto crashes in
Colorado had the 10th highest increase nationally in the last two years,
the State Patrol has identified 15 of the most dangerous stretches of state
and federal highways and has started concentrating on them.

Interstate 25 near Castle Rock and I-25 near Greeley are two of the hot
spots on the list, along with U.S. 85 near Greeley, I-70 in Jefferson
County and U.S. 285 near C-470.

Westphal said the goal of his agency is to reduce fatalities and injuries
on the 15 roads by 5 percent "through the use of high-visibility
enforcement and awareness campaigns." He said it is hoped that trooper
visibility will "deter motorists from engaging in dangerous or criminal
behavior."

The 15 roads on the list are not the only dangerous stretches, but the ones
identified by six district commanders in their own jurisdictions, he said.

Colorado had the 10th highest percentage increase nationally in auto
fatalities between 2000 and 2001, according to a report by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Washington, D.C., had the highest increase, at 41.7 percent. Wyoming was
second with 22.4 percent.

Even though Colorado's percentage increase was just 8.1 percent, it had the
highest actual number of fatalities of the 10 states. The increase was from
681 killed in 2000 to 736 killed in 2001.

Westphal said car crash injuries are the leading cause of injury death for
Coloradans ages 1 to 34 and the second leading cause for Coloradans between
35 and 84. While "unattended driving"- or driving while talking on
cellphones, eating, putting on makeup, etc. - is the main cause of crashes,
alcohol and drugs play a major role.

He said the number of crashes involving drugs or alcohol rose from 2,435 in
2000 to 2,568 last year. Moreover, 58.2 percent of crashes involving
alcohol or drugs resulted in injuries or death, he said.

"When alcohol or drugs were not the cause of a crash, only 31.8 percent
resulted in injuries or fatalities," he said.

The issue of whether Colorado should lower its blood-alcohol limit to 0.08
percent from 0.10 percent will likely be revisited in the coming
legislative session.

Past legislatures have refused to lower the threshold, even though Colorado
stands to lose federal highway dollars by not complying with the federal
standard of 0.08 percent.

Sen. Ron Teck, R-Grand Junction, and Rep. Brad Young, R-Lamar, asked
Westphal for statistics that might show the difference in fatality rates
between the higher and lower standards.

As part of a counterterrorism effort, Westphal also said, State Patrol
officials will undergo training to recognize and record suspicious behavior
that might be related to terrorist activity.