At a March meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board, CCLA Policy Analysts Alexi Wood and Jeremy Patrick-Justice expressed sharp opposition to a plan for the mandatory urine drug testing of police officers. The plan was recommended by retired judge George Ferguson after an inquiry he had conducted into police corruption. Proposing mandatory drug tests for all officers being transferred to certain positions, Ferguson argued that the idea was to shield officers from the influence of drugs “that may adversely affect ... performance or conduct”.

Calling the plan “a significant encroachment on the privacy and dignity” of police officers, Ms. Wood pointed out that such drug tests cannot “show whether there is current – or even past – impairment”. Thus far, the Board has taken no action on this proposal.