Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 10, 1991 TAG: 9104100510
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-6 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Superintendent William Corvello said all 1,750 law enforcement officers and several dozen other employees who work closely with criminal investigations, including clerks and communications officers, will be subject to testing.
Charles Vaughan, a state police spokesman, said Corvello and other top administrators have volunteered to be the first to be tested.
"I have no information that would suggest [drug use] is a problem with this agency. It's just sound policy to institute this program to ensure the integrity of this agency," Corvello said. "It's not that there has been any incident that precipitated this."
State police officials began developing the proposal 18 months ago. Corvello said it has received extensive review from the office of Attorney General Mary Sue Terry and state personnel officials. Gov. Douglas Wilder has also endorsed the program, Corvello said.
Lt. L.R. Jessup, who works in the Salem office of the state police, said, "All our employees have been notified that it's going to happen. Everybody I've talked to says, `fine.' I haven't heard any complaints at all. I think everyone feels comfortable with it."
As many as 80 employees a month will be randomly selected by computer and required to provide a urine sample.
State officials are hiring a private contractor to run the program, which they estimate will cost $50,000 to $60,000 the first year.
Employees who test positive face options, "depending on the circumstances," Corvello said - including drug counseling, suspension or dismissal, depending on what investigators learned about an employee's involvement with drug use, he said.
Kyle L. Miller, president of the Virginia State Police Association, said he was unaware of the program until he received a call from a reporter Tuesday.
"I'm surprised he [Corvello] didn't discuss it with me earlier," said Miller, whose organization represents about 80 percent of state police employees.
He said the association has no problem with drug testing "as long as it's done randomly of all employees."
Staff writer Ron Brown contributed information for this story.
by CNB