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The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has added a certified Drug Recognition Expert – or DRE – to its workforce – a deputy trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol.
Deputy Jose Pereira underwent an intensive series of training to gain the DRE designation. He says the DRE can be the arresting officer of an impaired driver, “or be called in to evaluate another deputy or officer’s arrest when they believe impairment may be due to consumption of drugs.” The DRE can determine whether or not there is impairment, rule out a medical condition, and if there is impairment, determine what drug category the individual is impaired under.
The 12 step standardized process undertaken can take up to an hour to complete and the evaluation is typically done in a controlled environment and not on the side of the road. The evaluation ranges from observations of behavior, appearance and speech patterns to vital signs and more. In some instances DRE’s have been able to determine that an individual is in fact NOT impaired but having a stroke or other medical condition that requires an ambulance and trip to a hospital instead of a jail.
His kit includes items such as a Drug Identification bible and Matrix of Symptoms, blood pressure cuff, pupilometer, and stethoscope.
Deputy Periera says the most common narcotics being encountered in impaired drivers involve prescription painkillers, but also heroin, anti‐psychotic drugs, and combinations of drugs. He says some individuals who are prescribed medications may not realize that they should not be driving and he advises everyone to be aware of the potential side effects of any prescription drugs they ingest.
Despite the demanding training required to gain DRE certification, Deputy Periera says he was happy to take on the added workload. “I have investigated traffic deaths due to impairment and I want to do what I can to prevent those types of tragedies,” he said. Deputy Periera made his first arrest as a DRE on January 27th in Destin after he evaluated a 20‐year old woman pulled over for swerving over the center line and driving extremely slowly. She was also slurring and moving very slowly. A check of the car revealed a partially burnt cigarette and an open package of what appeared to be Spice or synthetic marijuana.
A breath test indicated there was no alcohol in her system. A Drug Recognition Evaluation was conducted and the woman was charged with DUI.
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