|
|
|
|
|
What
is a DRE? A DRE is a DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERT
(also know as an DRUG RECOGNITION EVALUATOR or DRUG RECOGNITION OFFICER). This officer has taken extensive training to
increase their knowledge in detecting and apprehending drug impaired drivers. Their job is to assist other Police Officers in
removing drug impaired drivers, making our streets safer. How
many people drive under the influence of something other than alcohol? The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 65% of all drivers arrested for DWI have substances
other than alcohol impairing their abilities to drive at the time of their arrest. How
many officers have had this training? There are nearly 6000 DREs in the U.S. Minnesota currently has 162 officers from 80 different departments trained in these skills. What
does the training entail? Training to be a DRE is difficult and extremely extensive. Many officers say that it is the most difficult training that they have ever attended (including their academy). The training consists of nine days of classroom training. Here, you will learn about human physiology, the 12 step process, documentation of your observations, courtroom testimony, medical conditions, indications of each specific drug category, and enhance you SFST skills. Step 2 is certification training. During this phase, the newly trained DREs will sharpen their detection and interpretation skills on actual drug impaired subjects. This portion of training usually takes about 5 weeks (Wednesday through Saturday nights from 1800-0400). There are numerous quizzes and tests throughout the process. But don’t let this scare you! Minnesota has a group of quality, nationally recognized instructors that will be there every step of the way to assist you. There is further information on the APPLICATION (go back to HOME Page to link). What does the training cost? There is no cost for this training or the extensive equipment supplied to each student. The department will have to pay the officer’s salary and any meal expenses during training. Who can attend this training? Any licensed police officer may apply for the training. The officer MUST have completed SFST training before attending DRE School. There are sections of the training that are valuable to your prosecutor. Often, they will attend portions of the training to get a better insight into the program. They cannot, however, become a certified DRE. What can a DRE do for me? The job of the DRE is to remove drug
impaired drivers from the road. They are also
tasked with assisting other police officers toward that same goal. A DRE can come to your traffic stop and help you
make a decision concerning the driver’s impairment.
In most cases, they will meet you at your station after you have arrested
the subject. Think of them as an Intoxilyzer
operator. You make the stop for poor driving
conduct, make the arrest based on observations and the driver’s performance on SFSTs,
and transport the driver to your station. The
DRE will arrive and perform an evaluation on the driver.
After the evaluation, the DRE will come up with one of three decisions: the
driver is impaired on something other than (or in addition to) alcohol, the driver has a
current medical condition that’s causing the observations, or the driver is not
impaired at the time of the evaluation. This
isn’t to say that the driver wasn’t impaired when you made the stop. Isn’t the issue of drugged drivers more of a Metro
problem? Not necessarily. Minnesota DREs complete over 800 evaluations of drug impaired drivers every year. Of those 800 evaluations, approximately 1/3 are done by ‘out state’ DREs. Can someone be arrested if they are taking a prescription? Definitely. Minnesota Statute states that it is a violation if
a person “drives, operates, or is in physical control of a motor vehicle while under
the influence of a controlled substance”. It does not matter if the person has a
prescription or not (it is, however, an affirmative defense if they are taking the
prescription as prescribed). It also states
that it is a violation to be “knowingly
under the influence of a hazardous substance that affects the nervous system, brain, or
muscles of the person so as to substantially impair the person's ability to drive or
operate the motor vehicle.” Those items
include paint, paint thinner, glue, etc. How do I know that I need a DRE? You make a stop and know the driver is impaired, but the alcohol reading on your PBT or the Intoxilyzer is not consistent with the driver’s impairment. YOU NEED A DRE. How long does the evaluation take? On the average, the evaluation will take approximately 30-45 minutes. Do I need to do anything? Make your traffic stop and do SFSTs as you normally would. You can PBT the driver if you’d like. If the driver is impaired, place them under arrest. Transport the driver to your station. Request a DRE to meet you there. If you get to your station and the DRE hasn’t arrived, you can invoke the implied consent, let the driver call an attorney, and get a breath test. These are things that the DRE must have done before their evaluation begins. If you ever have questions during the process, call a DRE. In most cases, they can relay through your dispatch some information or tasks to complete. Where can I find a DRE? There are 162 DREs from 80 different
departments throughout the State of Minnesota. Go
back to the HOME Page and click on LOCATE to see a list of those DREs broken
down by area. If you or your department has any other
questions, contact Sergeant Don Marose
|
||
