Program Trains Officers To Recognize New Drug Trends, Impaired Driving

DENVER (CBS4) - Law enforcement officers are hitting the road, newly-trained in identifying drugged drivers. Sgt. Roger Meyers is an instructor teaching those officers.

Meyers has been watching for impaired drivers for the last 16 years. He teaches other officers from around the state about the signs and behaviors of drugged driving at the Colorado Drug Recognition Expert program.

"There are always new drug trends," he said.

Aaron Botts, a Denver police officer, just graduated from the DRE program.

"My grandfather was killed by a drunk driver so that led my police career into this area. Because of that, I have developed myself and tried to be the best DUI enforcement officer I could," Botts said.

Officers, like Botts, spend weeks studying behaviors of a driver who may be high, perhaps on ecstasy.

"One example would be large pupils. At night that's dangerous when someone is driving with headlights towards you - you're going to be blinded more than if you had a normal reaction."

The program gives select officers the information and tools they need to be experts in this field, while keeping impaired drivers off the road.

"It gives me a sense of pride in being able to one say 'I'm a DRE (officer) and apply those skills to make our roads safer and hopefully prevent to someone else what happened to me with my grandfather," Botts said.