A "TOTALLY unacceptable” level of drug driving has led to police forensic services being forced to send tests to private labs.
A report prepared for watchdogs at the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) revealed how the demand for “drug driving analysis remains significantly higher” than what forensic services can cope with.
With cases at the “elevated level”, the Scottish Government approved additional funding in November, which will allow “around 900 cases to be outsourced.”
Director of SPA Forensic Services Fiona Duncan said: “There continues to be a significant challenge with regards to high levels of demand for Section 5A drug driving toxicology analysis.”
Duncan said they were working together with Police Scotland and the Crown Office to find a “long-term sustainable solution” to the problem.
READ MORE: Police Scotland plan recruitment drive in light of staff shortages
SPA board member Tom Halpin has condemned the “frankly totally unacceptable level of drug driving on Scotland’s roads.”
Halpin served as deputy chief constable in Lothian and Borders Police prior to the creation of Police Scotland.
He told the SPA Meeting: “One result of this ongoing challenge is keeping up with the demand for toxicology services, the testing of blood and suspected drug drivers.
“The director of forensic services reports that the demand continues to exceed the in-house capacity to deliver.
“Forensic services capacity is being enhanced by outsourcing some of the drug driving blood testing to private forensic service companies.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here