The ASUA Nighttime Safe-Ride program is moving to institute new applicant screening practices after two volunteers were dismissed for failing field sobriety tests for marijuana impairment.

Lawrence E. Majewski and Jeffery A. Zilany, both residents of Graham-Greenlee Residence Hall, denied using the drug, but exhibited six requisite clues of impairment as well as "a mild to moderate odor of burnt marijuana," a Nov. 27 UAPD report said.

University police released the two on ASUA Safe-Ride director Tim Walker's recognizance. He subsequently dismissed them.

Through the test, the officers determined "probable cause," Walker said.

"We got kinda ambushed," Majewski said. "No. We weren't smoking [marijuana]. We possibly could have been around it."

Despite other similar alcohol-related instances this semester, Walker maintained his program is sound.

"This is the only time drugs have been involved," Walker said. "The people who we drive have not been affected. We have had no complaints."

He also said the service has no written guidelines to deal with these situations.

"I have no etched-in-stone policy," Walker said. "I deal with it personally each time."

In light of these instances, Walker met with Assistant Dean of Students Veda Hunn and arranged for access to university Code of Conduct records in order to better screen volunteer applicants.

Future volunteers must sign a limited-access waiver, allowing the Dean of Students office to search their records for past infractions or citations at the UA.

"We have law schools and medical schools that ask for the same kind of information," Hunn said. "It's nothing new or different."

A similar waiver policy is already in use at the Safety Escort Service at Arizona State University.

Walker also plans to institute a similar policy with UAPD for background checks on felony and traffic violations.