DRE Program: NE History and
Current Status
Presented to the Nebraska Drugged Driving
Summit
08 December 2015
Darrell Fisher, Executive Director
Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and
Criminal Justice
History of the DRE Program
The DEC program began in the early 1970s in Los
Angeles, California. It was developed initially by the Los
Angeles Police Department as a means of dealing with
the increased number of drivers suspected of driving
under the influence of drugs. Through the program’s
success it later expanded to other states and eventually
into Canada and other countries.
As of today, there are 50 states, plus the District of
Columbia, and Canada that have active DRE Programs.
There is also now a small presence of DRE’s in Germany, the
Nebraska and the DRE
Program
Nebraska became a DEC state in 1991.
We were chosen as a pilot site, based
upon our completing a site selection
evaluation.
NHTSA Site Selection
Evaluation - 1991
Our implied consent statute had to be in compliance:
explicitly allows the chemical test sample to be analyzed to
determine the presence and/or concentration of drugs other than
alcohol;
explicitly indicates that the “consent” applies to multiple tests,
i.e., that the person is “deemed to have given consent to a test or
tests of blood, breath or urine”; and
empowers the arresting officer and/or the law enforcement
agency to select the types of chemical tests to be taken, rather
than giving the suspect the option of choosing the tests.
NHTSA Site Selection
Evaluation - 1991
Nebraska’s level of DUI enforcement was
analyzed.
Identified the level of SFST training used by
law enforcement;
Identified the level of NOHS funding for
impaired driving enforcement;
Identified the level of DUI prosecution
support.
NHTSA Site Selection
Evaluation – 1991
Examined the level of Standardized Field
Sobriety Testing (SFST) Training.
Nebraska held it’s very first DRE
Pre-School on 19 and 20 September 1991.
DRE Certification School followed in
October.
What is a DRE?
A drug recognition expert or DRE, is a
police officer specially trained to recognize
impairment in drivers who are under the
influence of drugs OTHER THAN or in
addition to, alcohol.
DRE Training
Three phase process:
DRE Pre-School (16 hours)
DRE Certification School (56 hours)
DRE Field Certifications (around 36 to 60
hours)
Goal of the DRE
1.
Determine if the subject is impaired, and if impaired, is the
impairment consistent with a blood alcohol level;
2.
Determine whether the impairment may stem from an
illness or injury, requiring prompt medical attention;
3.
If impairment is inconsistent with alcohol, and inconsistent
with illness or injury, then
utilize the diagnostic procedures to
determine what category or categories of
drugs is likely causing the impairment.
DRE Working Definition of “Drug”
“Any substance, which when
taken into the human body, can
impair the ability of the person to
operate a vehicle safely.”
The Seven Drug Categories for
the DRE Program
CNS Depressants
CNS Stimulants
Hallucinogens
Dissociative Anesthetics
Narcotic Analgesics
Inhalants
Cannabis
The Seven Drug Categories
Each category consists of substances that
impair a person’s ability to drive. The
categories differ from one another in terms
of how they impair driving ability and in
terms of the kinds of impairment they
cause. Because the categories produce
different kinds of impairment, they
Overview of the Drug Evaluation and
Classification Procedures
The Drug Influence Evaluation
A Standardized and
Systematic Process
Step 1
Breath Alcohol Test
Step 2
Interview of the Arresting Officer
Step 3
Preliminary Examination
Step 4
HGN Right Eye Left Eye Vertical Gaze Nystagmus? Yes No Lack of Smooth Pursuit
Max. Deviation
Angle of Onset
Convergence
Right Eye Left Eye
Examination of the Eyes
Step 5
Divided Attention Tests
Cannot keep balance___________ Starts too soon _______________
Stops Walking Misses Heel-Toe Steps Off Line Raises Arms
Actual Steps Taken
1st Nine 2nd Nine
Walk And Turn Test
Describe Turn Cannot Do Test (explain)
Right
Left
Draw lines to spots touched
2 4 5 1 3 6
Balance Eyes Closed
Internal Clock:
______Estimated as 30 sec.
One Leg Stand:
Sways while balancing. Uses arms to balance. Hopping.
Puts foot down.
L R
Type of Footwear
Step 6
Examination of Vital Signs
Pulse & Time
1. ________/________
2. ________/________
3. ________/________
Blood Pressure
Temp
__________/__________
__________
Step 7
Darkroom Examinations
PUPIL SIZE Room Light Darkness Direct NASAL AREA Left Eye
Right Eye ORAL CAVITY
HIPPUS Yes REBOUND DILATION Reaction to Light No Yes No
Step 8
Examination for Muscle Tone
MUSCLE TONE:
Near Normal
Flaccid
Rigid
Comments:
Step 9
Examination for Injection Sites
RIGHT ARM
LEFT ARM
ATTACH PHOTOS OF FRESH PUNCTURE MARKS
Step 10
Suspect’s Statements and Other
Observations
What medicine or drug have you been using? How much? Time of use? Where were the drugs used? (Location)
Date/Time of Arrest Time DRE Notified Eval. Start Time Time Completed
Member Signature (Include Rank) ID No. Reviewed By
Opinion of Evaluator: Rule Out Alcohol Stimulant D/A Inhalant Medical Depressant Hallucinogen Narcotic Analgesic Cannabis
Step 11
Opinion of the Evaluator
Step 12
Toxicological Examination
Drug Influence Report Checklist
1. Breath alcohol test
2. Interview of arresting officer (Note: Gloves must be worn from this point on) 3. Preliminary examination and first pulse
4. Eye Examinations 5. Divided attention tests:
- Romberg balance - Walk and turn - One leg stand - Finger to nose
6. Vital signs and second pulse
7. Dark room examinations and ingestion examination 8. Check for muscle tone
9. Check for injection sites and third pulse
10. Interrogation, statements and other observations 11. Opinion of evaluator
12. Toxicological examination
