Police desire to inform tokers' bosses shows desperation

Candor Trust say the Police legal section is a little back to front if it is considering advising employers when it busts people caught driving off after buying drugs, for 'possession'.

'The background to this has to be worry over cases like the Korean bus crash driver' says Spokeswoman Rachael Ford.

'They know a lot of big crashes, ferry and train incidents are drug fueled - but the law prevents them from testing suspects unless they are hospitalised.'

The Police Minister Annette King has said her Officers can test impaired driving suspects for drugs, yet several prime candidates like the Korean bus driver were not drug tested lately (per answers to Parliamentary questions pitched by Chester Borrows).

Police seem therefore to have hatched some desperate desire to tell Employers about the arrests of drug purchasers beginning with those caught near tinny houses during Operation Beware in Otara.

They admit to being strongly motivated by the fact some of the purchasers they have apprehended driving away from tinny houses (in working hours) are working in safety sensitive jobs like train driving or nursing.

Green Party drugs and alcohol spokeswoman Metiria Turei considered that police were not within their rights interfering with employment matters.

'The police are enforcers of the law, not of their own views or morals. People are entitled to their privacy.'

'Amen to that', say Candor - for if Police would just get on and enforce the law as regards drug impaired driving which is the obvious imminent risk here, any need to tell tales to Employers (to address safety concerns) would evaporate.

The non drug testing bosses would soon find out the employee may be dangerous as certain people would no longer be legally entitled to continue driving that Company Car they like to go scoring drugs in.

The real question is what the Cops expect employers to do about the problem if Police themselves will only arrest for possession and not deal to the real risk - impaired driving.

It should be of great concern to all Road Safety Groups that Police mentioned drug buyers were nabbed from as far afield as Huntly, Tauranga and New Plymouth who had traveled to Otara to 'score'.

One of the involved Cops said some buyers had delayed speech - a classic sign of drug intoxication. Yet we hear of 40 in that Operation being arrested for possession and not one quite remarkably for driving while stoned.

'We can only assume some stoned arrestees who'd sparked up before being pulled over were allowed to hop back in their cars after processing. And that some happily weaved their way all the way back home on State Highway 1 or 2'.

Happily because the stoned ones, some of whom no doubt scored elsewhere straight after confiscation and processing knew only pitiful fines for 'possession.' and certainly no change in license status were headed their way.

If the Police won't get unsafe drivers off the road when they have them right under their noses, how on earth do they think employers will have any greater success with curtailing druggy danger?

'Also telling Employers about workers shopping lists the question is where does it stop', says Candor Co-ordinator Rachael Ford.

'Will they tell mine if I buy a bottle of wine for safe consimption at home on a special occasion - because I just could be a drunk?'

The salient fact here is that not all drug users drive stoned or work stoned, however it is a concern that some do who should not be slipping through the gaps.

Police need to be enabled to conduct impairment and drug tests on drivers immediately, instead of being subjected to the humiliation of ineffective prohibition style Policing.

Though Labour is currently working on a drug driving Bill Annette King in a recent speech indicated that she held out little hope it would get passed. She cited the weakness of being in a minority Government as the reason for her cynicism.

ENDS

© Scoop Media