MAYOR, POLICE BOARD DIVIDED ON DRUG TESTING

The Toronto Police Services Board and Mayor David Miller came out on
opposite sides of the thorny issue of whether or not to require some
police officers to submit to drug testing.

The police services board voted late last Thursday to hold off on a
March 1 implementation of the plan just long enough to review a
detailed policy on how the drug tests will be implemented.

They did so after hearing objections from the Toronto Police
Association, who have maintained that asking police officers to submit
to the tests is a violation of their human rights. Retired judge
George Ferguson recommended the drug testing as a part of sweeping
reforms designed to root out police corruption, and showed up at the
board meeting to reiterate his position.

But the police association had a secret weapon - a 1998 quote from
Miller in which as a councillor and a TTC commissioner he came out
against drug testing for transit employees.

Miller surprised many by saying he still opposes random testing for
any employees including police officers.

"I agree with them," he said of the association's position. "I don't
believe in random testing of people, that violates civil liberties. I
believe in supervision, proper supervision, and I believe drug testing
is only appropriate where there's evidence to support it. It's the
same with anyone in any job. Your rights are important."

Before the board made its decision Thursday evening, Miller said he
would like to see the implementation of the policy deferred and the
new police chief be included in any discussions on a new drug testing
policy.

"I understand what the police association is asking for is a
reasonable discussion about how you do that and I agree with them, and
I hope the police services board agrees to have that reasonable
discussion because I think they've got a point," he told reporters.

He said whatever is done must be designed to "ensure the public that
risks are managed and to ensure members of the association their
rights are going to be respected."

Ferguson told reporters that he was "quite shocked" by Miller's
statement.

"Really I'm quite shocked that the mayor would express any views about
my recommendations - he's not a member of the police services board
and as far as I understood he wasn't running the police service,"
Ferguson said.

"Other than that I don't want to get involved in a controversy with
the mayor."

Ferguson said that his investigation indicated an increasing problem
with drug abuse.

But Wilson maintained the police service is well equipped to find drug
abusers on the force and has a system to help those officers already.

And he said that he hoped to use the weeks between now and the March 8
police board meeting to change some minds.

"Now you have an interesting question - there's one thing coming from
the mayor and a different thing from the police services board," he
said. "Let's hope that we can get on the same page."

Board chair Pam McConnell (Ward 28, Toronto Centre-Rosedale), a
supporter of drug testing, said the March 8 meeting will be an
opportunity to reexamine the policy - and she refused to rule out the
possibility that the board might reverse itself at that point.

"We will see what happens when people get to see the details of this
implementation - who will be tested and so on," she said. "Those are
the details that members of the board will need to see. I'm regretful,
though - I thought this was a win-win."