Police officers still waiting for roadside screening devices for drug impairment
Island police officers are still waiting to access federally approved roadside screening devices for drug impairment.
As of now, only three of them are on order for the entire province.
RCMP Staff-Sgt. Kevin Baillie said this is because the devices are both cumbersome, and costly at a price of $5,000 each.
"I anticipate down the road we'll see more orders for some sort of oral fluid screening device," Baillie said.
Devices located in urban areas
"Right now there's only one device approved. As time goes on, I anticipate there will be additional devices approved, and perhaps they'll be smaller and more convenient."
The roadside device that was approved by the federal government back in August tests a driver's saliva, and quickly determines whether there's reason to bring them in for more extensive testing.
Once the devices arrive on the Island, they'll be split between the RCMP and the three municipal police forces in Charlottetown, Kensington and Summerside.
"Certainly I suspect they'll be kept closer to the urban areas, where there's more traffic, more collisions, and more vehicles stopped," Baillie said.
"In and around Charlottetown, Summerside, and possibly Montague, I think there's a fairly high chance there'll be one of these devices nearby."
Drug impairment charges steady
He said it's also likely they'll be routinely used for large checkpoints with highway safety, or joint operations with other police forces.
In the meantime, he said, police across the province seem to be getting along fine without them, because most officers are trained to do field sobriety tests.
"If an officer doesn't have access to a drug screening device, an officer trained as a standard-field-sobriety tester — as most of our officers are — can still go through a procedure and determine whether or not there's grounds to move further with a driver with regards to drug impairment," Baillie said.
According to Baillie, the RCMP has not encountered more drug impaired driving since legalization.
He said prior to legalization, the force averaged one charge per month, and that trend has continued since cannabis became legal.
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