Tasmania Police has implemented a disciplinary framework to assist in dealing with any instance of drink driving by police officers.

The framework indicates disciplinary sanctions which are likely to be applied in addition to any court-imposed penalty.

“Drink driving offences feature prominently in fatal and serious injury crashes on our roads and many lives are needlessly lost each year,” said Deputy Commissioner Scott Tilyard.

“The police role is to enforce road safety laws and it is not unreasonable that both the community and the Department of Police and Emergency Management have higher expectations of the conduct of police, both on and off duty, when it comes to these offences.”

Under the framework, a police officer faces termination of their employment if they are detected with a blood alcohol reading of 0.1% or more while driving a police vehicle, with a reading of 0.15% or more while driving a private vehicle, or if they commit a second drink driving offence.

A range of other options for discipline include demotion, reprimand and transfer.

“Police have always faced internal disciplinary action for these offences but the new framework is designed to ensure a greater level of consistency in making disciplinary decisions, while at the same time providing a clearer indication to officers as to what to expect in terms of disciplinary action if they offend in this way,” Mr Tilyard said.

“Tasmania Police takes these offences extremely seriously and will not tolerate officers drink driving. People from all walks of life and every profession are caught drink driving from time to time, including police officers. However, given the role that police play in the community, there is a higher expectation placed on these individuals to uphold the law.

“While the number of officers detected drink driving is low, understandably community trust and confidence in police, and acceptance of the road safety message, is seriously undermined when an officer is detected committing these offences.”

Tasmania Police

Media and Communications

(03) 6230 2296