NATION : Supreme Court Allows Random Drug Testing of Police Officers
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WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court today permitted random drug testing of Boston police officers, providing new evidence that the justices are willing to allow widespread testing of government employees in jobs affecting public safety.
The court, without comment, left intact a ruling that forcing police officers to undergo the tests--even when there is no reason to suspect drug abuse--does not violate their privacy rights.
In its first drug-testing rulings last March, the court upheld drug and alcohol tests for railway workers involved in accidents and U.S. Customs Service employees applying for drug-enforcement jobs or those positions that require carrying a firearm.
Neither of those rulings directly addressed the question of random tests, however.
The U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals nevertheless relied on those decisions in upholding the constitutionality of random urinalysis tests for Boston police officers who carry firearms or enforce drug laws. The appeals court last May overturned a federal judge’s decision that the tests violate the officers’ rights. The justices today agreed.
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