Question
Follow-Up Question From April’s Board
What would it entail if police were to deploy drug testing kits on the roadside, as they currently do with alcohol testing kits? Is this done anywhere else?
Answer
The Police Service of Northern Ireland are in the process of introducing equipment to carry out preliminary roadside drug testing.
Road Policing Development Unit have begun researching the matter and have gathered information from services across the UK and from An Garda Síochána regarding their equipment and operating procedures. Once this research is completed, we will establish which product best suits our needs and provides the best value for money.
This will then be recommended to the Department for Infrastructure for its approval and use in Northern Ireland. Our legal services are reviewing the legislation to ensure there are no gaps regarding our power to conduct the testing. We are in the early stages of this process and there is still work to be progressed, but hope to have significant progress before the end of 2023.
Many of the services we have spoken with carry out roadside drug testing and most use a drug-testing wipe. Our research continues but it is likely that the kit we recommend will be similar.
Linda Dillion - Sinn Féin