SHALIMAR — The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has added a certified Drug Recognition Expert to its workforce.
A DRE is 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, and what drug category caused it.
The 12-step standardized process to determine that impairment can take an hour to complete. It is typically done in a controlled environment, not by the side of the road.
The evaluation ranges from observations of behavior, appearance and speech patterns to vital signs and more. In some instances DREs 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.
Periera's kit includes items such as a drug identification bible and Matrix of Symptoms, blood pressure cuff, pupilometer, and stethoscope.
He 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.
Pereira 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, 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.
Periera made his first arrest as a DRE on Jan. 27 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.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputy completes drug recognition expert training