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Posted by: PBC FL Cop

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Chief dares to test for drugs

Officers urged to seek out help

By Shaun Sutner TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER— Police officials here do not keep formal records on officers who are treated for drug and alcohol abuse, under the rationale that doing so would discourage employees with substance abuse problems from voluntarily seeking help.

However, Chief Gary J. Gemme — in the wake of reports that a Boston firefighter who died fighting a blaze in September had high levels of alcohol in his system, and that the autopsy of the other firefighter who died showed traces of cocaine — acknowledged six to eight Worcester police officers have been sent to inpatient treatment over the last three years.

Chief Gemme, in a recent interview with the Telegram & Gazette, also confirmed that he recently fired an officer for using illegal drugs. “There was a police officer involved with illegal drugs. That officer is no longer an employee of the city of Worcester.”

Citing personnel confidentiality and medical privacy laws, Chief Gemme would not reveal the names of the officers who have been treated, or the name of the officer who was dismissed from the force.

He said the officers used their own vacation or sick time for treatment, which lasted between three and 14 days.

“The benefit of seeking treatment outweighs the need for me to keep information on the number of officers requesting assistance,” he said.

The chief noted that he fired a patrolman last year after he was convicted of drug charges in federal court, while his accomplice, another patrol officer, resigned after being convicted of conspiracy to possess drugs.

Chief Gemme maintains that the department, which has about 360 patrolmen and women and 95 superior officers, does not have a significant issue with alcohol and drug abuse. And officers who flagrantly violate the laws will be prosecuted, and, if found guilty, dismissed.

Like many organizations its size, police employees, both sworn officers and civilians, sometimes do experience serious problems with harmful and illegal use of illegal and prescription drugs, as well as alcohol, he said.

For the last 24 years, the department has dealt with such cases by referring them anonymously to the “Stress Unit.” The unit essentially is a one-man operation run by Officer John Mahan, a trained counselor, who talks with troubled employees and often refers them into professionals such as psychologists and psychiatrists or other outpatient and inpatient treatment programs.

“It’s appropriate for a police officer to obtain assistance for a substance abuse problem,” Chief Gemme said. “The Police Department has invested a lot of money in hiring and training police officers and you want to make sure they stay productive.”

He said that while he doesn’t see the need for record-keeping on substance abuse on the force, or for universal random drug-testing for that matter, he is trying to expand his powers to test officers for drug use.

The chief recently started contact negotiations with the patrol officers’ union, local 378 of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, after the most recent contract expired in June 30, He will seek similar language that the superior officers agreed to in their new contract in August.

The commanding officers agreed to a provision giving the chief the ability to use “reasonable suspicion” rather than the more restrictive probable cause to randomly test officers if he thinks they are abusing drugs.

Also, the chief can now ask to test superior officers for any drug. Previously he had to test for a specific drug.

The new drug-testing measure shot to the top of contract negotiations after the August drug conviction of the two former officers, Brian W. Benedict and Heriberto Arroyo, in U.S. District Court.

Sgt. Richard P. Cipro Jr., a member of the executive board of the IBPO and former president of the patrol union, said it is likely the patrol officers union will give the chief the stringent enhanced drug-testing powers he is looking for, though the wording may not be exactly the same to which the superior officers agreed.

“There’s a trend in public safety, as there is in many business organizations and sports like baseball and football, to do this,” Sgt. Cipro said. “It shows the community at large that they can have more faith in the Police Department, and it makes the department more transparent.

“Police have nothing to hide.”

Sgt. Cipro agrees with Chief Gemme’s decision to keep completely confidential the whole issue of employees who get help for substance abuse.

“I think the informal approach has been working fine. If people have a problem they go to the stress unit. If you start keeping records it has the perception that it’s discipline and might keep people from going there.”

Contact Shaun Sutner by e-mail at ssutner@telegram.com.

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