A Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) is a law enforcement officer trained in a scientifically validated method to identify people whose driving is impaired by drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol.<!-- definition of drug as it pertains to DRE is different from the medical definition. Drug as defined for the purpose of impaired driving is "any substance which when taken into the human body can impair the ability of the person to operate a vehicle safely". By this definition nicotine would not be a drug because it has no effect on the safe operation of a vehicle. In contrast the inhalation of a volatile solvent such as Toluene would be a drug because it affects the safe operation of a vehicle. -->

All DREs follow the same 12 step procedure called a Drug Influence Evaluation (DIE), to purportedly determine which category of drugs is causing the driver to be impaired. describes different approaches taken by state courts in how DRE evidence is admitted.

The acronym 'DRE' has been used to refer not just to the DRE officers, but also to the examination they perform, the "Drug Recognition Examination", or "Drug Recognition Evaluation." The confluence of acronyms leads to confusion, and the IACP now calls the evaluation done by DRE officers the "Drug Influence Evaluation", DIE.

DREs were developed by police officers from the Los Angeles Police Department in the early 1970s. The officers' drug recognition methods were officially recognized by the LAPD management in 1979, and adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the early 1980s.

Certification is issued by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). To remain certified and in good standing, DREs must track their evaluations and enter the results into an online database.

DRE training

DRE training and certification standards are defined by the International Association of Chiefs of Police Training is available only to "a person ... in the employ and under the direct control of a public criminal justice agency involved in the enforcement of criminal or traffic safety laws or an institution involved in providing training services to officers of law enforcement agencies.". IACP standards require DREs training to be done using an official Student Manual. This manual. is widely cited in court as defining standards for the performance of a Drug Influence Evaluation.

12-Step DRE process

A DIE involves the following 12 steps

  1. Breath Alcohol Test: The arresting officer reviews the subject's breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) test results and determines if the subject's apparent impairment is consistent with the subject's BrAC. If so, the officer will not normally call a DRE. If the impairment is not explained by the BrAC, the officer requests a DRE evaluation.
  2. Interview of the arresting officer
  3. Preliminary examination and first pulse
  4. Eye examinations
  5. Divided Attention Psychophysical Tests
  6. Vital signs and second pulse
  7. Dark room examinations
  8. Examination for muscle tone
  9. Check for injection sites and third pulse
  10. Subject's Statements and Other Observations
  11. Analysis and Opinions of the Evaluator
  12. Toxicological examination: After completing the evaluation, the DRE normally requests a urine, blood and/or saliva sample from the subject for a toxicology lab analysis.

Critique & Controversy

Scientific validation

Claims regarding the effectiveness of DREs have not been supported by research. These claims are critical to the admission of DRE expert testimony in criminal trials.

The DRE Student Manual identifies three scientific studies as being those that validate DRE testing. These studies are: Bigelow 1985 (aka the Johns Hopkins study); Compton 1986 (aka the LAPD-173 study); and Adler 1994 (aka the Arizona DRE Validation Study). However, all three of these studies have been shown to have major methodological flaws.

This mirrors US case law where testimony of police officers regarding alcohol impairment is admitted in court without the need for the officer to be an expert in, or to testify to, the underlying sciences of the sobriety tests they are trained to administer.

Police Handing Out Drugs

On May 2, 2012, activists with Occupy Minneapolis released a documentary video called MK Occupy Minnesota. The video documents testimony from participants that police officers in Minneapolis gave them cannabis as part of a Drug Recognition Expert program.

See also

  • Drug test
  • Occupy Minneapolis

References

  • LAPD Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Homepage
  • Drug Recognition Expert Evaluations RCMP
  • Drug Evaluation and Classification Program International Association of Chiefs of Police
  • Drugs and Driving: When Science and Policy Don't Mix, Mark Asbridge, Canadian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 97,No. 4 (2006–07, pp.&nbsp;283–285
  • The Standardized Field Sobriety Tests: A Review of Scientific and Legal Issues, Steven J. Rubenzer, Law and Human Behavior, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Aug., 2008), pp.&nbsp;293–313
  • OccupyMN.org
  • PaperRevolution.org