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Police to use drug recognition expert to determine impairment

Apr 20, 2018 | 4:50 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The impending legalization of cannabis is creating new challenges for law enforcement across the country.

Without a standardized device to test for drug impairment, police agencies are turning to a different tactic.

Select officers are being trained as drug recognition experts.

The training, which takes place in Canada and the US, gives them the knowledge they need to be able to tell exactly what someone has taken.

“We want to make sure that we have the tools in place to detect impaired driving by drugs,” said Constable Darren Holeha.

One of the tools Holeha can use is his pen.

If he believes someone is under the influence, he’ll conduct a series of tests to help him determine what has been taken.

The tip of his pen is used to test the movement in a persons eyes.

He has them follow along, without moving their head, as the pen moves from side to side.

As he’s doing this, he checks to see if either pupil is dilated, a sign something might be wrong.

Another indicator might be if the eyes follow the movement together.

“The eyes tell us a lot, depending on how they move,” he said.

Holeha completed his training in Florida last month to become a drug recognition expert.

Once he receives his certificate, he’ll be one of only three officers in southern Alberta to test for drug impairment.

“As an expert, they should be able to, through certain tests that they do and certain deductions, they can come to a conclusion, reliably, that that person, for instance, could be impaired by methamphetamine,” said Inspector Tim McGough.

Holeha said the outcome of the tests are based on his knowledge and on an interaction.

Along with watching a person’s eyes, he’s also watching for balance.

Another test determines how well a person does with direction.

“They’re similar to, like, there’s a walking test, a walk and turn test for balance,” he said. “And then there’s divided attention, so being able to balance plus follow instructions and do different things.”

McGough adds that with the training, Holeha can test for a number of different substances.

“It could be any form of opioids, so it could be heroin, it could be opioid-based pharmaceuticals, so pain killers,” he said. “It could be cocaine, methamphetamine. It could be anything.”

It will be up to Holeha to determine the substance, even if there’s not just one answer.

“Quite often you’re not going to have just straight cannabis, or straight heroin. There’s going to be a mixture of that. There also may be alcohol on board so there’s usually two or three different things in play,” he added.

McGough said it’s important the service is prepared ahead of the marijuana legalization expected later this year.

“We’re trying to get ahead of the game,” he said. “As you know, there’s going to be some legalization of cannabis, marijuana, in the future so we want to know how to be able to successfully deal with people who drive impaired by drug.”

Once Holeha has his certificate, he’ll be able to start putting his new knowledge to the test.