Drug use in the police from January 2019 to March 2024

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.036833

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. How many drug tests have you conducted on police staff in each of the last 5 years? Please break this down to year by year where possible.
2. How many police staff have tested positive for illegal drug use in each of the last 5 years? Please break this down year by year where possible.
3. Please also include which substance was positively detected in each drug test, and break this down year by year.
4. Please explain where applicable what disciplinary action was taken relating to each positive drug test.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - How many drug tests have you conducted on police staff in each of the last 5 years? Please break this down to year by year where possible.

2019	16 Police Staff
2020	27 Police Staff
2021	17 Police Staff
2022	68 Police Staff
2023	169 Police Staff
January – June 2024	39 Police Staff

2019 -

Month	Designated Detention Officer	Police Community Support Officer	Totals
January	0	0	0
February	20	28	48
March	0	26	26
April	0	3	3
May	0	7	7
June	0	33	33
July	0	10	10
August	0	10	10
September	0	6	6
October	0	12	12
November	0	2	2
December	0	0	0
Totals	30	137	157

2020 -

Month	Designated Detention Officer	Police Community Support Officer	Totals
January	5	0	5
February	0	0	0
March	0	0	0
April	0	0	0
May	6	1	7
June	6	0	6
July	3	22	25
August	0	4	4
September	0	19	19
October	0	32	32
November	0	5	5
December	1	0	1
Totals	21	83	104

2021 -

Month	Designated Detention Officer	Police Community Support Officer	Totals
January	14	29	43
February	11	1	12
March	25	0	25
April	15	2	17
May	6	0	6
June	0	1	1
July	1	1	2
August	3	1	4
September	1	8	9
October	10	1	11
November	5	1	6
December	6	6	12
Totals	97	51	148

2022 –

Month	Designated Detention Officer	Police Community Support Officer	Totals
January	14	16	30
February	20	8	28
March	52	7	59
April	32	20	52
May	10	29	39
June	3	15	18
July	0	23	23
August	15	17	32
September	36	36	72
October	6	24	30
November	20	13	33
December	18	23	41
Totals	226	231	457

2023 –

Month	Designated Detention Officer	Police Community Support Officer	Totals
January	14	26	40
February	11	20	31
March	8	30	38
April	6	18	24
May	11	32	43
June	1	38	39
July	6	34	40
August	7	35	42
September	14	34	48
October	10	58	68
November	12	54	66
December	16	35	51
Totals	116	414	530

2024 -

Month	Designated Detention Officer	Police Community Support Officer	Totals
January	10	33	43
February	1	44	45
March	3	32	35
April	0	33	33
May	4	17	21
June	3	59	62
July	0	2	2
August	0	0	0
September	0	0	0
October	0	0	0
November	0	0	0
December	0	0	0
Totals	21	220	241

Above details the number of tests carried out over the last 5 years at the police staff recruitment stage.

Please note that in police staff recruitment, the only substance misuse testing we do is random sampling of a % of those applying to be PCSO’s or DDO’s. No other staff applicant would be tested during the recruitment phase.

Questions 2 – 4

Please see attached excel spreadsheet for questions 2 – 4 in relation to Police Staff.