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Staff outlines updates to safety-forces prior drug and substance-use standards; no formal vote recorded
Summary
City staff presented an update aligning hiring assessments to FBI drug-use standards and DEA schedules and discussed how legalization of some substances has affected candidate screening; commissioners expressed support and no formal action was recorded at the meeting.
City staff and safety chiefs presented an update May 7 on prior drug and substance-use standards applied in screening police and fire applicants and veterans, explaining the guidance the commission applies when evaluating candidates' past substance use.
Ms. Felder, a city staff member, said the update responds to patterns staff see during interviews and the changing legal landscape for some substances. "We're finding out about what drug what past drug use they have. And then obviously with the legalization of certain substances and taking all that into consideration, we're not necessarily recommending changes permitting use, but we're needing to kinda realign based on just what we're seeing in the market," Ms. Felder said.
The update presented the FBI drug-use standards as a benchmark and referenced Drug Enforcement Administration schedules (schedule I–V) to describe how substances are categorized for review. Ms. Felder told the commission the city's practice for considering prior drug use is not written into civil service rules and that the paper presented was intended to outline the rationale and clarifications for candidates and staff.
Chief Moore said staff will likely continue to adjust the requirements in response to market and legal changes and emphasized hiring standards will be maintained. "I remain committed to making sure only the very best people wear the badge of the Delaware Police Department and will continue to do so," Chief Moore said. He added the update "is more so to reflect the legal environment that we live in at this point with the legalization of certain substances."
Commissioners commented that the clarified document (the one-page standard effective March 30) made the practice more explicit and noted the challenge of distinguishing legal products such as hemp from THC during interviews. The commission did not record a motion or roll-call vote on the drug and substance-use standards during the meeting.
Staff did not present a redline version at the meeting and said the update was principally educational and intended to guide staff evaluations of applicants under existing hiring standards.
