POLICE MAY FACE RANDOM DRINK AND DRUG TESTING

Police may soon be tested for drink and drugs. Random testing is being
considered as part of a probe into alcohol and drug use within the police
force, superintendent Graham Emery told the Sunday Star-Times.

Emery, police national manager of professional standards, said last month's
court decision allowing Air New Zealand to randomly test some employees
"added impetus" to a review of police drinking culture.

A group drawn from police ranks would be asked to review international
research on police drinking, he said.

"We are looking to see 'Do we have a problem?' And if we have a problem,
how are we going to address it?

"If you are looking at the question of alcohol, you are looking at health
and safety issues and possibly disciplinary issues and about the culture.
Random drug and alcohol testing is also something the group will have to
look into."

The probe was an expansion of a review into police bars, which began about
18 months ago after police bosses became concerned over the number of
high-profile incidents involving alcohol sold at police stations. It
included a Gisborne policewoman allegedly pepper-sprayed during a party at
her station in December 2002.

While the axe would not fall on police bars, rules would be "tweaked" as a
result of the review to reinforce the code of conduct, particularly about
host responsibilities, Emery said.

Nationally, 18 police stations run canteens, which do not need a licence to
sell liquor. District commanders have ultimate say in their fate - some
have already clamped down on usage.

North Shore's police bar was recently closed temporarily and staff warned
it could close permanently because of unruly behaviour, Emery said.

A culture change within police and society had significantly cut patronage
to police bars and drink-driving laws had also reduced their use, he said.

"It used to be the place that police officers could go to escape."

Emery stressed the review was not linked to the commission of inquiry into
police misconduct, sparked by Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas' allegations in
January she was pack-raped by police officers in the 1980s.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor doubted random testing was
needed because there was no evidence New Zealand's police force had a
drinking problem.

"I believe there is a lot less of a drinking culture in the police than
there has been in the past."

In Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, random drug testing
for police officers was introduced more than two years ago after a
drug-using cop was involved in a fatal shooting.