http://wgntv.com/2017/06/28/ha...istaken-for-cocaine/

I am not blaming the LEO here, they did what they were supposed to do and made a reasonable assumption based on evidence they had. A drug testing that misidentifies drywall dust as cocaine is a real problem. Interesting to see who makes these test kits.

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Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL: Interesting to see who makes these test kits.

It's right in the article:

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Oviedo Police Department Lt. Heather Capetillo told reporters that they're currently reviewing the use of the field drug testing kits, made by The Safariland Group.

The article does gloss over 1 thing, he was on probation and was pulled over for both mj and cocaine. What were the results of the lab test on the suspected MJ? That alone can violate his probation no matter how jacked up the drywall/cocaine test was.

I was making a snide comment. I did not know the holster maker made drug testing kits. I failed to communicate that clearly and was not aware that they made test kits. Thought they only sold holsters.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I was making a snide comment. I did not know the holster maker made drug testing kits. I failed to communicate that clearly and was not aware that they made test kits. Thought they only sold holsters.

It looks like they've been in acquisition mode since '04. Pretty diversified beyond holsters and belts.

Safariland Group consists of several dozen companies, which are involved in manufacturing a wide variety of different types of law enforcement equipment. They're not just making holsters anymore.

Yeah thanks for the link. Lots of money in drug testing these days.

Field test kits are basically worthless. We do not use them in my agency. Some of the new drugs can react to them, and then there's that whole fentanyl can kill you thing. And I've never known any jurisdiction where a field test result could be introduced as proof of what the drug is. It has to be analyzed by a lab.

I should qualify that by saying that I've used many many test kits in the past with good results. But we already had PC to believe it was an illegal substance before we opened a kit even then.

These days, if you're so unsure that you're going to depend on a test kit to make up your mind , it is better to just seize it and send it to the lab and take out warrants later on if you need to. In his case the marijuana would have been enough anyway.

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These days, if you're so unsure that you're going to depend on a test kit to make up your mind , it is better to just seize it and send it to the lab and take out warrants later on if you need to. In his case the marijuana would have been enough anyway.

Thanks for the clarification. That makes sense to me, as well as being good policy for the department.

The dept should be sued for the delay in testing. You can't tell me there is any legit reason for the testing to take that long. And the manufacturer of the tests should be sued for making defective tests causing people to be arrested for non existent crimes.

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Originally posted by 2010Challenger:
The dept should be sued for the delay in testing. You can't tell me there is any legit reason for the testing to take that long. And the manufacturer of the tests should be sued for making defective tests causing people to be arrested for non existent crimes.

I'm pretty sure the pot he had would also qualify as a probation violation. The article barely mentions he got popped for two drug violations and does not tell you if the pot was found to be real MJ or not. My guess is that it probably was real pot, it would be ironic if he had also been doing some landscaping and something that looked like pot ended up in his car.

A little googling found that they dropped the MJ charges for some unspecified reason.

quote:

Originally posted by 2010Challenger:
The dept should be sued for the delay in testing. You can't tell me there is any legit reason for the testing to take that long. And the manufacturer of the tests should be sued for making defective tests causing people to be arrested for non existent crimes.

This is not uncommon for test results to take that long in some places. Not sure about this department in particular but Every department does not have a lab and relies on others or even in some states the state has the only lab that does the work for all departments in the state.

With drug use and abuse rampant in the United States, drug testing is a huge business. With this amount of money to be made there are going to be mistakes. People are fired from jobs all the time for positive drug tests, which at times can be quite unreliable depending upon the lab. The Dept. of Corrections uses a cheap service with a dip stick in urine. They do not typically test for adulterants because that is more expensive. The cons know that and pass the test even though they are still using drugs. Companies are in the business that probably should not be.

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Originally posted by Black92LX:This is not uncommon for test results to take that long in some places.

Would it be typical for someone to do the "rot in jail" game while awaiting results?

I am sorry and I am very pro LEO.

I can not think of a chemical reason that calcium sulfate dihydrate (drywall) would create a false positive drug test.

If someone with more background than mine could explain the science rather than a LEO frame I would appreciate it.

Hell in my car after a home depot run I could be next.

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Originally posted by MNSIG:

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Originally posted by Black92LX:This is not uncommon for test results to take that long in some places.

Would it be typical for someone to do the "rot in jail" game while awaiting results?

If they were out on probation from other charges it is possible. Around here no they most certainly would be given a 10% bond and be out for a couple hundred bucks.
As for other places I can't speak but it seems very unlikely.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
I am sorry and I am very pro LEO.

I can not think of a chemical reason that calcium sulfate dihydrate (drywall) would create a false positive drug test.

If someone with more background than mine could explain the science rather than a LEO frame I would appreciate it.

Hell in my car after a home depot run I could be next.

Www.sirchie.com/products/nark-...e-drug-analysis.html

Were talking about field test kits. Not mass spectrometry. Even the website for the kits says that false positives are possible. I never trusted them, plus they are filled with harsh/dangerous chemicals, so if one busts and leaks it's a damn mess and can burn you.


"NOTE: ALL TEST RESULTS MUST BE CONFIRMED BY AN APPROVED ANALYTICAL LABORATORY! The results of this test are merely presumptive. NARK® only tests for the possible presence of certain chemical compounds. Reactions may occur with, and such compounds can be found in, both legal and illegal products. This test must be administered following its specific instructions and may be used in conjunction with other reagents in the NARK® II Sequential Testing System."