Law enforcement is given great authority. They can take away a person’s liberty with the power of arrest and they are authorized to violate numerous traffic and safety laws in the pursuance of their job. They are even authorized to shoot to kill in some circumstances. With that great authority comes great responsibility and accountability.

In many occupations that carry great responsibility for public safety, drug and alcohol testing after an “incident,” is the norm. When a bus driver in St. Louis has a fender bender, if there is a train crash at a grade crossing, or if a pilot cuts a corner on a taxiway too tight and drops a wheel off the pavement, they are subject to such a test.

A recent announcement from the St. Louis Police states that officers in shootings or vehicle crashes will be tested for drugs and alcohol. This seems only reasonable, and other law enforcement within the state of Missouri, including the State Police, follows this procedure,

This announcement comes after reports involving a department officer. He had been involved in a shooting incident in 2014 and in December, he was found drunk behind the wheel of a police vehicle after he had crashed into a parked car. The crash occurred a few hours after his shift, but he was found with a blood alcohol content of 0.117 and also had cocaine in his system.

While the officer was cleared by an investigation earlier shooting, it is likely that the public confidence in police shooting investigations may not be bolstered by the later revelation that the officer crashed a police vehicle on alcohol while intoxicated and having used cocaine.

Given their authority, police have to be held to a higher standard, and it is appropriate that St. Louis police officers be subject to at least the same standards that a bus driver or train engineer, or Missouri State Police trooper would be held.

Source: stltoday.com, “St. Louis police to undergo drug and alcohol testing after shootings, wrecks,” Christine Byers, January 30, 2016