Drug Testing in Law Enforcement Agencies: Social Control in the Public Sector

Drug testing has become an increasingly important part of the public sector workplace. For law enforcement officers, courts have granted government employers wide discretion in choosing a drug testing strategy. Brunet seeks to understand what leads one law enforcement agency to adopt a more rigorous testing program while another abstains from testing workers altogether. An emerging literature on drug testing as a mechanism of social control provides the theoretical base. An analysis of a sample of law enforcement agencies finds evidence that social distance within police organizations, the social status of officers, and the influence of third parties play significant roles in shaping a department?s drug testing policy.