Page 23 - WMPF Federation Oct-Nov 2021-flip_Neat

Better support launched the More tests and levelled

Emergency
Services Trauma enforcement needed across
Intervention
Programme the UK to tackle drug driving
(ESTIMP) in April
this year. The
programme
focuses on early intervention.
The service was first piloted in Thames
Valley Police and was rolled out more widely
after its success.
Oscar Kilo is also delivering a
psychological risk management programme
to coincide with this to help forces reduce the
risk of psychological ill-health within the
workforce.
Liz Eades, Oscar Kilo occupational health
adviser, said: “We know policing is a
demanding job. I don’t think you can be a
police officer and not expect to have some
psychological detriment, so we have to
manage officers’ health and monitor that.”

Speakers taking part in the conference session.
A panel of key stakeholders agreed that a synthetic oral fluid for evidential drug-
different approach must be taken to tackle driving offences, said she was very interested
drug-driving more effectively and efficiently. in alternative matrices for evidential testing
The CPD-approved session “Safer roads in different populations.
– drug driving”, featured input from forensic She continued, echoing David’s
toxicologist Dr Simon Elliott, David Davies, comments surrounding reoffending, adding:
executive director of the Parliamentary “Repeat offenders seem to be a big concern.”
Advisory Council for Transport Safety, Prof Wolff also added that she believes
Professor Max Cameron from Monash there should be a similar high-risk offender
University Accident Research Centre, scheme for those who drug-drive, as those
Australia, Professor Kim Wolff from King’s who drink-drive – something she is working
College, London, and David Snelling, policy very closely with the DfT on.
team Leader at the Department for Transport Dr Elliott explained how legislation
(DfT). changes in the last six years have seen “a sea
Police Federation national chair John Apter.
David opened the session by highlighting change in how forensic toxicology has been
criminals, the dangerous vehicles, the some key road safety issues, stating that used within policing”.
anti-social use of vehicles, the drink and drug nearly half of drug-drive offences are by He added: “This is to the extent that 80
drivers - any different from any other. people reoffending. per cent of all forensic toxicology requests
“We need specialist officers to do that so He continued: “We may be catching are in relation to roads policing, and that
it is about priorities. I have always said that people but we’re not preventing them from includes drugs and alcohol.
you invest in people. You want dedicated, reoffending. We want enforcement to be “Of this, 80 per cent of all of submissions
fully-trained roads policing officers who are levelled up across the UK.” are specifically related to drugs. Nearly three
intrusive, challenging and tackling the David explained that drug-related quarters of all cases where drugs are
travelling criminals - they are getting them fatalities have increased over time, but detected involve cannabis or cocaine.
disqualified, they are finding other offences added: “There are about 250 drink-drive “If you put that into context, our entire
and working alongside those in investigation casualties every year – what we don’t know forensic toxicology system is really dealing
and response. yet is the same for drugs. with two drugs – cannabis and cocaine.
“If you want to tackle all of that and “It is still an issue to know just how “But is that actually what is happening?
more, invest in your roads policing and you much the incidents of drug-driving are Or is that because road-side tests only test
will get the results that you need. growing. We still don’t have a good for cannabis and cocaine?”
“The sad thing is for some forces, indication just how much impact this is
certainly during austerity, roads policing was having on death and injury. It’s certainly
seen as nice to have rather than as essential worrying.
but roads policing is an essential - it works “What we are lacking is data from the
hand-in-hand with response, with number of roadside tests. There appear to be
investigations, with other specialist forces which are not doing the same levels of
departments so I would want to see an enforcement, and we would encourage a
investment in people to get the results we levelling up.”
want to see.” Professor Wolff, who is investigating

www.polfed.org/westmids federation October/November 2021 23