Act needs consequential penalty provision for police random drug tests

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 5 October 2025: The Acting Police Commissioner, Leiataua Afamasaga Samuelu Afamasaga is considering amending the Police Service Act to include a penalty for police officers who may test positive to drugs.

Leiataua said the current Police Service Act does not have such a provision and neither does the Police Policy Guide.

“That is why the previous Commissioner established a policy to guide the drug testing scheme however, nothing in the policy says anything about a penalty or consequences for a positive test,” said Leiataua.

He confirmed that the Ministry of Police Executive have all been tested and each one given their result by code.

“I cannot confirm if anyone was tested positive because the results were given directly to the person,” he said.

He also confirmed that not everyone in the Ministry has been tested because of the cost which is $50 per person to be tested at the Scientific Research Organisation Samoa (SROS).

Leitaua believes that the only possible way to address the issue is to amend the Act to put a consequential penalty provision in it, but as with the policy, investigation can be conducted and could lead to a termination, but again, there is nothing in the policy to cater for that too.

The Ministry of Police is spearheading a 12 months long campaign launched last month, “Say No To Illicit Drugs”.

There has been the push to have police officers undergo random drug tests as a measure to ensure transparency as police officers deal with the rapidly growing drugs problem in Samoa.