Drug Recognition Expert

The Police Department has two Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) in the Patrol Staff. The Officers are highly trained and skilled in the detection of drivers impaired by alcohol and drugs. Detection is accomplished by administering a standardized and systematic evaluation that includes a breath test, a series of psychophysical tests, checks of vital signs, a series of eye examinations including measuring pupil sizes under various conditions of light, and an interview of the arresting officer. At the completion of the evaluation, a DRE is able to opinionate a category or categories of drugs which may impair the suspect from safely driving a motor vehicle. This opinion is then confirmed by the toxicology results of a blood test.