Media Advisory
Contact: David Andrascik, 717-418-3060
May 25, 2021
Luzerne County Adds Drug Recognition Experts on the Road
Wilkes Barre– The Luzerne County District Attorney’s office applied and received a grant through the International Association of Chiefs of Police to conduct five Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training classes and one Drug Recognition Expert Training Course for police officers from agencies in Luzerne County. In cooperation with the PA State Police, The PA DUI Association, and the Department of Transportation, the DA’s office has successfully completed three ARIDE Classes and most recently completed the DRE Training class. Four state troopers and eight municipal police officers all from Luzerne County have completed training and are certified by the International Association of Chiefs of Police as drug recognition experts, or DREs. This is the first time that all officers of the DRE training class were from one county. This is the 24th training class conducted in Pennsylvania.
“The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program is a national effort to train police officers to determine when an individual has been driving under the influence of drugs and to identify the type of drug causing the impairment,” David Andrascik, the state program coordinator said. The success of the program in Pennsylvania is a result of the strong partnerships of the Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania DUI Association, and most importantly our prosecutors.
Drug Recognition Experts are trained to determine if a driver is under the influence of illegal drugs, prescription drugs, or any other substance that impairs a person’s ability to operate a vehicle safely. “Motorists should know that they may be incapable of driving safely and can be charged with driving under the influence after ingesting any intoxicating substance, whether the substance is legal or illegal, prescribed by a physician or purchased over the counter. Individuals need to be aware of how taking a particular drug will affect their body,”
The program, which was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and approved by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, includes classroom study and hands-on exercises for participating officers. As part of the training, participants are required to conduct evaluations of actual subjects impaired by drugs.
In 2004, Pennsylvania became the 39th U.S. state to have a Drug Evaluation and Classification Program approved by the IACP. With the additional officers obtaining certification, the Commonwealth currently has 208 police officers certified as DREs. Officers successfully completing PA DRE School #24:
Name Agency
Officer Kevin Andres Wilkes Barre Police
Trooper Brent Beaver PA State Police, Troop N
Officer Joseph Benson Wilkes Barre Police
Officer Peter Cordaro Wilkes Barre Police
Patrolman Gilbert Diaz Pittston City Police
Officer Connor Duffy Hanover Township Police
Trooper Joseph Napolsky PA State Police, Troop P
Trooper Gregory Pimm Pa State Police, Troop P
Patrolman Brian Sayler Wilkes Barre Township Police
Patrolman Anthony Smith Forty Fort Borough Police
Trooper Christopher Tobias Pa State Police, Troop N
Officer Christopher Ward Wilkes Barre Police
Media contact: David Andrascik, 717-418-3060
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