Press Release-10-07-2022
GOVERNOR’S TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES LATEST CLASS
OF NEW YORK’S DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERTS
Program Strengthens State’s Efforts to Prevent Drugged Driving on New York Roadways
411 Drug Recognition Experts Now Certified Statewide
View B-roll and Soundbites of New York’s Drug Recognition Experts Training
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today recognized 20 law enforcement officers from across New York State who recently completed extensive training and are now nationally certified Drug Recognition Experts (DREs). With this graduating class, New York now has 411 certified DREs across the state.
“Drug Recognition Experts are an irreplaceable asset in helping to get impaired drivers off New York’s roads,” said GTSC Chair and DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “I congratulate the officers for the hard work they put in to complete this extensive training and appreciate their efforts in making our roads safer.”
Below is a list of graduates and their affiliations:
Last Name | First Name | Agency |
Andrews | Benjamin | New York State Police |
Blake | Jacis | Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office |
Capeder | Marcus | Brighton Police Department |
Caudle | Timothy | New York State Police |
Clancy | Ryan | New York State Park Police |
Daloia | Christopher | Bath Village Police Department |
Egeberg | Alexis | New York State Police |
Flower | Rosalia | New York State Police |
Jaeger | Nicholas | Guilderland Police Department |
Masiello | Cheyenne | Livingston County Sheriff's Office |
McKinney | Matt | New York State Police |
Middlebrook III | Robert | Ontario County Sheriff's Office |
Minogue | Kristopher | Plattsburgh Police Department |
Pierson | Brett | Irondequoit Police Department |
Puchalski | Daniel | Plattsburgh City Police Department |
Stirk | Jason | New York State Police |
Stupple | Matthew | Port Authority Police Department |
Williams | Brian | New York State Police |
Wolcott | Jordan | LeRoy Police Department |
Yetto | Daniel | Saratoga County Sheriff's Office |
DREs are utilized by law enforcement when a driver appears to be impaired and police have ruled out alcohol as the cause or sole cause of impairment. A DRE receives extensive training that has been approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
The training allows officers to observe and document signs and indicators of impairment within each of seven drug categories including illicit and prescription drugs. DREs can make arrests and remove impaired drivers from New York State roadways regardless of the drug or drug combinations that are causing impairment.
As part of their training, DRE graduates must successfully complete a three-part program prior to being certified. The first two phases include a two-day introductory course, followed by 56 hours of instruction and a final exam. In the third phase, participants are required to observe and identify drug categories and complete an additional final knowledge exam to successfully comply with national DRE regulations. After successfully completing the training, all DRE officers are certified for two years and are expected to meet certain requirements to be considered for re-certification at the end of this period.
Officers selected to participate in the DRE program must have a history of being proactive within their community and be well-trained in DWI detection. Only a handful of the large number of DRE applicants are selected to attend the training, which is sponsored by the GTSC and New York State STOP-DWI Foundation.
Learn more about the DRE program on the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee website.
For more information about GTSC, visit https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/, or follow the GTSC conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
###