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Three police officers stood down after testing positive to drugs

Rachel FennerMandurah Coastal Times

THREE suburban police officers have been stood down after they returned positive results to illegal drugs during routine alcohol and drug testing.

Officers from the WA Police Internal Affairs Unit tested 200 officers at five suburban police stations on Monday.

Three officers returned a presumptive positive result to amphetamine and methamphetamine.

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The samples have been forwarded to the Chemistry Centre WA for analysis and confirmation.

Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan said they have zero tolerance for police officers found with illicit drugs in their system.

“Officers make critical decisions under duress and they must not be affected by illicit substances or alcohol,” Commissioner O’Callaghan said.

“This is for the safety of the community and their frontline partners.”

The three constables have been stood down by the Assistant Commissioner for Professional Standards Nick Anticich.

Regulations to allow random and targeted drug and alcohol testing were introduced in December 2011.

Since 2012, there have been almost 9500 tests conducted on WA Police officers.

The percentage of officers who have tested positive to illicit drugs is tracking at less than point one of one per cent (0.07 per cent).

During the four years of testing, 11 officers have exceeded 0.02 per cent blood alcohol concentration and seven officers have tested positive to illicit drugs.

The illicit drugs were cannabis (two), methamphetamine (one), MDMA (two) and anabolic steroids (two).

Six of the officers who tested positive to drugs resigned prior to the conclusion of a Loss of Confidence Process.

The seventh received a Letter of Corrective Advice after it was accepted he may have unwittingly ingested the steroid in an exercise supplement.

These results do not include the presumptive test outcomes from Monday.

Mr O’Callaghan said he makes no apologies for the robust drug and alcohol testing regime.

“However small the number of officers affected, we remain committed to identifying these people and taking swift action against them for everyone’s safety,” he said.

“Monday’s day of action by Internal Affairs should send a sobering warning to any officer using illicit substances at any time.”