(A) Due to the critical mission of criminal justice officers and the reliance by the citizens of the community upon this department for law enforcement and general safety and protection, it is the policy of this department to maintain a drug-free work environment through the use of an applicant and lateral transferee testing program.
(B) The criminal justice profession has several uniquely compelling interests that justify the implementation of a drug testing program. The public has a right to expect that those who are sworn to protect them are at all times both physically and mentally prepared to assume these duties. There is sufficient evidence to conclude that the use of controlled substances and other forms of drug abuse will seriously impair an employee’s physical and mental health and, thus, job performance.
(C) Where criminal justice officers participate in illegal drug use and drug activity, the integrity of the criminal justice profession and public confidence in the profession are destroyed. This confidence is further eroded by the potential for corruption created by illegal drug use. This department has a compelling interest in ensuring that every criminal justice officer, sworn to uphold the law, has unimpeachable integrity.
(D) This department also has a compelling interest in preventing any unwarranted risk to the life of the citizens of the community posed by the potential use of deadly force by armed officers suffering from impaired perception and judgment.
(E) Local confinement personnel routinely have regular access to inmate populations and are responsible for the general health, safety and security of prisoners. These officers must work at “optimum mental and physical levels” in order to effectively deal with and control prisoners, to prevent breaches of the peace and/or escape and to prevent prisoners and others from smuggling drugs, weapons or other contraband into the local confinement facility.
(F) This department places a great deal of trust and confidence in the integrity and loyalty of each of its employees. Illegal drug use by employees of this department evidences less than the complete reliability, stability and good judgment that is consistent with law enforcement employees and creates the possibility of coercion, influence and irresponsible action under pressure that may pose a threat to effective enforcement of the law and maintenance of the peace. Additionally, employees who use illegal drugs, on or off duty, tend to be less productive, less reliable and prone to greater tardiness and absenteeism than their fellow employees who do not use drugs.
(G) Therefore, in order to ensure the integrity of this department, to protect the citizens of this community, and to preserve public trust and confidence in a fit and drug-free criminal justice profession, this department shall implement a drug testing program. This program is designed to reduce the likelihood that drug-dependent applicants and lateral transferees will be employed by this department.
(Prior Code, § 33.21) (Ord. passed 11-19-1990)