Pubdate: Tue, 30 Jun 2009
Source: York Daily Record (PA)
Copyright: 2009 The York Daily Record
Contact:  http://ydr.inyork.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/512

CHEERS TO COPS ON DRUG TESTS

There was good news and bad news concerning police at  last week's West
Manchester Township board of  supervisor's meeting. First, the good
news:

Good request: We randomly drug test bus drivers, train  engineers,
student athletes and professional athletes  -- and many companies
randomly test employees of all  ranks.

But we don't drug test cops.

Well, not all of them.

It came as something of a surprise to learn officers in  the West
Manchester Township Police Department are not  required to pass random
drug tests.

On second thought, it probably shouldn't have come as a  surprise,
considering the allegations against former  Det. Steven Crider. He's
accused of taking drugs from  the evidence room, jeopardizing an
as-yet untold number  of cases.

It's a black eye for the department. And to their  credit, officers
want to rebuild the lost trust with  citizens.

As part of new contract negotiations, the officers  requested --
requested -- that random drug testing be  part of the new rules, from
rank-and-file officers  right up to the chief.

We salute them for this initiative. Further, we  encourage other local
municipal departments that  currently lack random drug screening to
institute such  programs.

In fact, perhaps state legislators should require all  police officers
to undergo drug screening.

One other thing West Manchester Police -- and other  local municipal
departments -- should do to bolster  public confidence: Become
accredited by the  Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. The
process puts in place  best practices for evidence management that
might have  prevented the situation allegedly involving Det.  Crider.

Unfortunately, just six York County departments have  been accredited:
York Area Regional, Fairview,  Newberry, Penn, Spring Garden and
Springettsbury  townships. West Manchester Township should join their 
ranks soon -- as should all other local departments.

Clause for alarm: Better yet, police departments in  York's inner-ring
suburbs should join together and form  an accredited regional police
department, as YorkCounts  has been advocating.

Unfortunately, the other police news from last week  could put a
damper on such possibilities: West  Manchester officials said police
are seeking a  "non-regionalization clause" in their contract.

Township supervisors should decline that request, which  would
seriously hamper regionalization efforts in the  future. A metro York
police department would be far  more effective with West Manchester as
a member.

Perhaps current supervisors are not ready to sign on to  that idea.
Fine. But keep open minds and open lines of  communication. And don't
put into a contract a clause  that could handcuff future supervisors
who might be  more interested in the concept. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr