For the Good of the Department

The Los Angeles Police Department and the police union have finally reached an important agreement that will require mandatory and random drug tests. The testing, which is expected to begin next month, should boost public confidence in the police force.

Mayor Tom Bradley and Chief Daryl F. Gates, mindful of the devastating and pervasive drug use throughout society, have pushed long and hard for mandatory testing without prior notice. The union, the Police Protective League, could have tabled any discussion of testing until the contract expires in 1992. Both sides, to their credit, were willing to negotiate the dispute.

In exchange for accepting a change in their working conditions, the union negotiated an extra vacation day for nearly 1,500 veterans who have at least 21 years on the force, and two additional days for officers who have 26 or more years with the department. That small but widespread benefit is expected to please the majority of members who must vote on the change early next month. Ratification is expected.

Under the agreement, roughly 7,400 officers with the rank of lieutenant or below will be tested at least once a year; higher-ranking officers, including captains and above, are already tested. In addition, 30% of the force will be randomly selected by computer for more testing. The additional testing will provide another safeguard.

With the agreement, the LAPD joins the ranks of several other urban departments. Police forces in Miami, Boston and New York already require drug testing. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department also requires mandatory drug testing. Depending on their assignment, officers are tested anywhere from three to six times a year; the men and women who work narcotics details face testing as often as four times a year.

No evidence suggests that many men and women on the front lines of the drug war use illegal drugs. But, as Chief Gates has explained, “It’s very, very important that we tell the public that the Los Angeles Police Department is drug-free.” In the current climate, mandatory drug testing is in the best interest of public safety.