Drug Recognition Expert

Sgt. Mark Vincent #652Irving Police Dept. 5992 Riverside Dr.Irving, Texas 75039Cell: 469-261-9746

mvincent@cityofirving.org

SFST

n 24-hour SFST Practitioner Course

n Since January 1, 2005 it has been mandated to be included in all Texas Basic Peace Officer Courses

n The foundation to all the impairment driving programs for law enforcement

SFST

n SFST program trains officers to identify and assess drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol

n SFST assessment is typically employed at roadside

n Reduce the number of impaired driving incidents as well as crashes which result in serious injuries and fatalities.

ARIDE

n ARIDE is intended to bridge the gap between the SFST and DEC/DRE programs by providing officers with general knowledge related to drug impairment and by promoting the use of DREs in states that have the DEC Program.

ARIDE

n ARIDE is a 16-hour training course and is taught by DRE instructors

n All participants MUST be SFST proficient.

n Must submit TCOLE report reflecting 24 SFST course.

ARIDE

n Designed to build on the Standardized Field Sobriety Test practitioner course

n Train law enforcement officers to observe, identify and articulate the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both.

DEC/DRE Program

n 3-phase training curriculum that includes:

1. Drug Recognition Pre-School (16 Hours)2. Drug Recognition Expert School (56 Hours)3. Drug Recognition Field Certification

(Approx. 80 Hours)

n Total training hours: 152 Hours

DEC/DRE Program

n Complete a recertification training course every two years.

n Maintain a log of all evaluations in training and any enforcement activities.

n DREs become highly effective officers skilled in the detection and identification of a person impaired or affected by alcohol and/or drugs.

DEC/DRE Program

n Drug Recognition Experts have advanced training on the effects of illegal and/or prescription drugs to the human body.

n The DEC/DRE program provides more advanced training to evaluate suspected drug impairment using a 12-step evaluation in a more controlled environment such as a jail.

DEC/DRE Program

n DRE’s use the basic SFST course as the foundation for drug evaluations, along with additional training on human anatomy.

n DRE’s look at a whole list of psychophysical and clinical indicators of impairment based on the 7 drug categories. (Pupil sizes, pulse rate, blood pressure, muscle tone, etc.)

DEC/DRE Program

n Based on a full evaluation of the defendant, DRE’s will select what category or categories of drugs the defendant is on; not the specific drug!

n DRE’s select these categories based on what is psychoactive in the defendant’s system at the time of the evaluation.

SFST/ARIDE/DRE

§ Arresting Officers should make the initial arrest based on the three (3) DWI Detection Phases which are taught in their original SFST School:

– 1. Vehicle Motion– 2. Personal Contact– 3. Pre-Arrest Screening

DEC/DRE Program

n With today’s society being more reliant on a variety of prescription medications.

n DRE’s have the ability to say whether or not a drug is still psychoactive in a suspect’s system, vs. when it shows up in a blood test.

n Why is this important?

DEC/DRE Program

n Just because a prescription drug is prescribed to you does not give you an “excuse” to operate a vehicle while impaired.

n Defense tactics today with blood tests are simply to say: “But their doctor prescribed this to him! It’s suppose to be in their system.”

DEC/DRE Program

n A DRE will educate and inform a jury as to what is therapeutic and what is over-medicated.

n DRE’s prove impairment or loss of mental/physical faculties through the full DRE evaluation.

12 Step DRE Process

1. Breath Test Result2. Interview of Arresting Officer3. Preliminary Examination (1st pulse, Initial

Pupil Estimate, Initial Angle of Onset)4. Eye Examination: (HGN, VGN, LOC)5. Divided Attention Tests: (Romberg, WAT,

OLS, FTNT)6. Vital Signs: (2nd pulse, Blood Pressure,

Body Temperature)

12 Step DRE Process

7. Dark Room Checks: (Room Light, Near Total Darkness, Direct Light. Ingestion Examination: Nasal Area/Oral Cavity)

8. Check for Muscle Tone (Normal, Flaccid, Rigid)

9. Check for Injection Sites: 3rd pulse10. Interrogation of Subject/Observations11. Opinion of Evaluator12. Toxicological Sample

WHY DRE’S?

n https://www.facebook.com/donutoperator/videos/449750932044949/

BEST PRACTICES

n Best practices for effective use of ARIDE and DRE trained officers

n When is it most appropriate for the officer to attend?