DRUG TESTING POLICY WILL GET MORE REVIEW

Police Board Votes To Delay March 1 Implementation Of Plan To Test Officers

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 last week.

The police services board voted late 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.

RIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT

"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."

SHOCKED BY STATEMENT

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."