The Waterford and Norwich Police Departments in Connecticut have certified their newest drug recognition experts.
DREs use a 12-step process to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs, even when there are no outward signs of impairment.
“This evaluation looks at, is there impairment right now? People automatically assume that if you use a drug, you’re impaired by it. But what we’re looking for is, is there impairment right now and by doing that 12-step process we can either say there is impairment or there’s no impairment,” said Gil Maffeo, an accredited DRE trainer with the Waterford Police Department.
Officer Ryan DiFusco, Waterford’s newest DRE, says the training was some of the toughest he’s ever taken.
“Initially it was a two-week class in Connecticut, and then we did a week of hands-on evaluations out in Phoenix, Arizona, in the Maricopa County Jail. And this is something I have never experienced before in my life. I have gone to high school, college, been through the police academy, this was one of the most stressful times of my life academically.”
The Waterford and Norwich departments each have three of the specially trained officers, more than any other local police department in the state.
The DRE program was first used by the Los Angeles Police Department back in 1979 when officers noticed arrestees had low-to-zero alcohol concentrations but suspected they were under the influence of drugs.