Police fake breath test results

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Police fake breath test resultsArticle from: October 08, 2007 12:00am

QUEENSLAND police are faking alcohol breath tests so they can meet a "stupid" political quota of three million drink driving checks a year, senior officers say.

They claimed overworked frontline police routinely manipulated SD-400 alcometers to generate dozens of false "zeroes" in a few minutes.

Police Minister Judy Spence today announced the Crime and Misconduct Commission would investigate.

"These are very, very serious allegations - they lead to the integrity and honesty of our police officers - and obviously we want to make sure this doesn't occur," Ms Spence said.

The trick was done by blocking airholes on the devices with fingers or straws, which causes a negative alcohol reading.

Although motorists are not directly affected, the fake results distort data so it appears Queensland roads are safer than in reality.

State politicians have repeatedly used the data to claim Queensland has Australia's highest testing rate and a relatively low offence rate of one drink driver per 100 motorists.

Parliament's Travelsafe Select Committee chairman Jim Pearce said he wasn't aware testing devices could be manipulated.

"I've never heard that before. If that is happening, it's quite alarming," he said. "It would mean there are a lot more drunk drivers out there than we think."

The quota was established before his tenure and might need to be reviewed, he said.

A police media spokeswoman claimed there was no evidence of fake testing. However, the officers spoken to by The Courier-Mail claimed police did not have enough resources to carry out three million breath tests a year on top of their other duties.

"Too often we turn up to jobs where they needed us two days before. We're flogged going from job to job," the six-year veteran said.

"There isn't time to spend hours setting up road blocks."

Police Minister Judy Spence said: "Any police officer who is found to have engaged or be engaging in this highly unethical conduct or committing acts of deception will be severely disciplined

A police officer with six years experience said he faked alcohol tests for two years before eventually refusing to do it any more and claimed he had witnessed "hundreds" of bogus tests.

"The quota system is purely a statistical exercise and that exercise is a stupidity," he said.

He said police referred to the fake tests as "Car-B-Ts," a play on RBTs, or roadside breath tests.

They were often performed in vehicles, where police manipulated their alcometers at stop lights or between more pressing duties.

"Faking RBT figures is an absolute reality. It's widespread," the officer said.

A high-ranking police official said an internal inquiry was launched a few years ago into the practice. The findings were never made public but believed to be inconclusive.

Another police veteran with 20 years experience in the service, estimated that up to a third of the state's tests have been faked. He confirmed the practice was intended to please supervisors who were under pressure to meet quotas with limited resources.

"It's been going on for years and it's still going on," he said.

RACQ spokesman Gary Fites said his organisation relied on accurate data from police. "If police have to resort to this kind of subterfuge it would be very disappointing," he said.

"It would be distorting the data."