 A drug recognition expert or drug recognition evaluator (DRE) is a police officer trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) coordinates the International Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program with support from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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 August 8th - 10th, 2009 DRE Officers Eaton and Bennett attended the 15th Annual IACP Training Conference on Drugs, Alcohol and Impaired Driving held at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock, AR. Officers attended lectures from Doctors, Lawyers and other Law Enforcement professionals on a variety of topics related to drug impaired driving. The knowledge that they gained will be used to make the streets of Benton safer from impaired drivers.
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The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) originated the program in the early 1970s. Back then LAPD officers noticed that many of the individuals arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) had very low or zero alcohol concentrations. The officers reasonably suspected that the arrestees were under the influence of drugs, but lacked the knowledge and skills to support their suspicions. In response, two LAPD sergeants collaborated with various medical doctors, research psychologists, and other medical professionals to develop a simple, standardized procedure for recognizing drug influence and impairment. Their efforts culminated in the development of a multi-step protocol and the first DRE program. The LAPD formally recognized the program in 1979.
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At the Benton Police Department we are especially proud of our officers that have obtained the certification of Drug Recognition Expert. The training to achieve certification is rigourous and only a handfull of officers in the country have completed it. Out of the approximately 14,000 police officers in the state of Arkansas only about 150 of them are a certified DRE. We are proud to have three of those DREs in our department.
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The DRE Protocol
The DRE protocol is a standardized and systematic method of examining a Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) suspect to determine the following: (1) whether or not the suspect is impaired; if so, (2) whether the impairment relates to drugs or a medical condition; and if drugs, (3) what category or combination of categories of drugs are the likely cause of the impairment. The process is systematic because it is based on a complete set of observable signs and symptoms that are known to be reliable indicators of drug impairment.
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DRE Program
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Physicians have long recognized that different types of drugs affect people differently. Nonetheless, drugs may be categorized or classified according to certain shared symptomatologies or effects. The DRE categorization process is premised on these long-standing, medically accepted facts. DREs classify drugs in one of seven categories: Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants, CNS Stimulants, Hallucinogens, Phencyclidine (PCP) and its analogs, Narcotic Analgesics, Inhalants, and Cannabis. Drugs from each of these categories can affect a person's central nervous system an impair a person's normal faculties, including a person's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
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Patrol Operations 
