Miami

Proposed Miami Police Contract Would Allow Officers Who Test Positive for Drugs to Keep Job if in Rehab

What to Know

  • The new deal will reportedly allow any officer who test positive to be reinstated if they enter a rehab program in 72 hours.
  • Chief Jorge Colina said that any officer who is caught using illegal substances will not have a job with the department.

A new contract between the city of Miami and the union for their police officers is sparking debate over one provision giving officers that test positive for drugs a second chance to keep their jobs.

The new deal will reportedly allow any officer who test positive to be reinstated to the Miami Police Department if they enter a rehab program – paid for by the officer – within 72 hours of the test.

“The spirit of that provision in the contract is that if you have an officer who was involved in an accident in the hospital taking painkillers, that officer becomes dependent, that’s what that is supposed to be,” MPD Chief Jorge Colina said.

Colina said that any officer who is caught using illegal substances will not have a job with the department.

“I don’t care how the language is laid out… someone tries to take advantage of that, they think, a policeman thinks they can use cocaine and I’m going to cut them slack, that’s not going to happen,” Colina added.

The proposed contract does keep the language in that any officer caught possessing illegal drugs will be terminated immediately.

NBC 6 attempted to contact the President of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, Sgt. Ricahrd Lugo, but those calls have not been returned.

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