HIGH-RISK OFFICERS FACE PSYCHOLOGICAL, DRUG TESTS

Union Vows To Fight Decision In Court Citing Lack Of Evidence That
Problems Exist

The Toronto Police Association promises to take the force to court in
its battle to prevent officers entering high-risk jobs from being
tested for drug abuse, psychological problems and financial
difficulties.

"The association will fight this," said Dave Wilson, president of the
7,700-member police union. "It's fundamentally unacceptable to us that
this is going on and we will fight it in every way we can."

The measures were recommended last April by retired judge George
Ferguson who was asked three years ago by Chief Julian Fantino to
review the force's policies and practices after allegations against
six former drug-squad officers. The allegations later resulted in
about 40 charges including theft, perjury and extortion.

Mr. Ferguson made 32 recommendations, including such things as a
better recruitment strategy. The vast majority of them have been
implemented.

But requiring members of the force who are entering high-risk jobs --
undercover duties, emergency task force positions, and drug-squad
posts -- to undergo drug tests, psychological assessments and
financial reviews remained a point of contention. Weekly meetings of
an implementation committee chaired by Chief Fantino and Mr. Ferguson,
who was given expanded duties to ensure that his recommendations were
enacted, could not resolve the impasse.

So the outgoing chief announced yesterday that the tests would become
mandatory as of March 1, despite the objections of the police
association. "I think that we have reached a point in time when we
have to move forward," he said.

Chief Fantino praised the work of the police association and the
Senior Officers' Organization saying that they had been very active in
trying to reach a solution. He said he respected their position and
did not discount to possibility of a court case. "We're going to have
to deal with the reaction when it comes."

But, as for the testing, "I feel it's the right thing to do for the
right reasons. The only intention from the outset has been to protect
our members who are assigned to high-risk assignments, to ensure the
integrity of the police service is not compromised and to preserve the
public trust."

The issue will go to the police board, where modifications to policy
are made, on Jan. 24. In the meantime, the union will be doing what it
can to halt the plan.

Mr. Wilson said all of the checks are personal intrusions. "They not
only impact the individual employee but also the family."

Little would be gained by putting the whole force through tests
designed to weed out a few who have gone astray, Mr. Wilson argued.
Instead, he said, it would be more beneficial to watch for any
problems and act on them directly.

In releasing his report, Mr. Ferguson conceded that problems were not
pervasive within the force, despite two other police-corruption
scandals that came to light last year and resulted in dozens of
criminal charges and charges under the Police Service Act.

"Why do we need to have these [tests]?" Mr. Wilson asked. "There has
been no evidence brought forward, and we've requested it, to show that
there is a systemic problem or a real problem in the Toronto Police
Services."