CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The City Council is considering a proposal that would allow the Clarksville Police Department to use state grant funding to buy new oral drug testing equipment. The devices are handheld, allowing officers to take a driver’s saliva sample and test it for drugs on the spot.
During Thursday’s meeting, the council discussed the resolution, which would allow CPD to work with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the state’s Highway Safety Office to put the new equipment into use.
If approved, the agreement would outline how the agencies will collaborate and use grant funds to roll out the new testing tools. Officials said the technology would give officers another resource for roadside testing, helping improve public safety and enforcement. The tests would mainly be used in vehicular homicide and other major investigations.
Device tests for opiates, cannibis, cocaine
Police Chief Charles Burdine told the council, “The Clarksville Police Department has been selected as one of the first 24 agencies in the state to receive this equipment at no cost.”
He explained that officers would only use the devices after establishing probable cause. “Once an officer has completed or attempted a standard failed sobriety test – or established probable cause by other means – the driver may be asked to consent to the oral fluid testing,” Burdine said. “This machine will detect certain types of drugs to include amphetamines, oxycodone, opiates, methamphetamine, cannabis, and cocaine,” he added. “This will steer an officer in the right direction if they’re suspicious of somebody driving under the influence.”
Officers will be required to complete training before using the new test kits, Burdine said, noting that the devices provide only a presumptive test – one that must later be confirmed in a state lab.
Helping police determine cause of condition
Councilmember Keri Lovato praised the department’s selection for the program, saying, “I just want to take this opportunity to tell you how proud I am of you and your department. And being so esteemed and what this means for the justice of our city, especially in these fatal DUI cases.”
Burdine responded, “I think this will not only benefit the police department, but it can benefit citizens too. … This will definitely help us to find out the truth of what’s going on with somebody.”
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Councilmember Stacey Streetman pointed out that the technology could help officers distinguish between impairment and medical issues. “It could appear that somebody was under the influence, but this could actually let your officers know that they’re not necessarily under the influence,” she said. “But they could be suffering a medical emergency of some sort – to be able to get them the help that they need right away because again, it’s a truth finder.”
Concerns about prescription drugs
Councilmember Wanda Smith raised some concerns, “Many people are prescribed these drugs. So if they are pulled over for this and they test positive for it … and they tell the police, ‘Well I’m prescribed this drug” … how will this stop the person from going to jail?”
Burdine clarified that the test would only come into play after an officer has probable cause. “This can only be used after probable cause is assumed that the person is driving under the influence,” he said. “Oftentimes those drugs prescribed will say do not drive or operate heavy machinery. So a person should know that if I take these, I don’t need to be driving because it’s illegal.”
Still, Smith urged caution, adding, “I’ve seen things on TV about people falsely arrested due to the tests that the police gave these people. This is not just one case, this has been a few cases that I’ve seen on the news … So I just hope we’re careful with how we handle this situation.”
Councilmember Deanna McLaughlin countered, “The incidents that the previous speaker (Smith) mentioned are not related to the Clarksville Police Department, and the jurisdictions that have those cases did not have this equipment to prevent that.”
Councilmember Tim Chandler added, “These drugs … prescription or not – all they have to say is positive … You’re driving, you’re taking valium, and it shows up in your system – that’s a DUI.”
The proposal will go before the council for a vote at its next meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6. The council meets at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers, 106 Public Square.
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