WARETOWN – Twelve steps take on a novel meaning for a select group of police officers involved in impaired driving arrests. Notably, the protocol has nothing to do with the twelve steps used in recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.
All law enforcement officers receive standardized training on motor vehicle stops when it appears someone is driving while intoxicated. That said, some cops add to their credentials and become certified as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs).
Not everyone knows about drug recognition evaluations, although the process began approximately four decades ago. Back then, the International Association of Chiefs of Police noted that members of the Los Angeles Police Department looked for a solution to what still presents as a common problem.
Drivers who exhibited signs of intoxication would come up with zero or low readings on alcohol breath tests. With drunk driving ruled out, the officers had a couple of other alternatives to consider. Was the driver experiencing a medical emergency or driving under the influence of drugs?
The LAPD subsequently created the first DRE program, which spread throughout law enforcement agencies across the country. More than 500 officers are certified as Drug Recognition Experts in New Jersey and follow the model developed by the Los Angeles cops.
“This procedure trains officers to use a standardized twelve-step evaluation process that allows the officer to determine whether the suspect is under the influence of drugs, and to determine the category of drug that is causing the observable impairment,” shares the New Jersey Association of Drug Recognition Experts, on its website. “The twelve-step procedure also allows the officer to rule in or out many medical conditions, such as illness or injury, which may be contributing to the subject’s impairment.”
Recently promoted Ocean Township Police Sergeant Michael D. Matelski acts as his department’s sole drug recognition expert. While he primarily works for the local municipality, other towns occasionally call him in for his expertise.
According to Matelski, he always had an interest in how the human body works. His undergraduate degree is in physical education, and he enjoys learning about medical things in general.
“I got my EMT certification a month before September 11th happened,” shared Matelski. “As I received subsequent certifications and have taken other EMT courses, I’ve discovered more. The DRE evaluations let me do both police work and be part of the medical aspect of it.”
Matelski said that part of the DRE training involved specialized courses that included learning about different categories of drugs and the body’s reaction to them. In addition, the twelve-step process consists of some of the things other officers also do as part of routine DWI arrests.
“There’s the sobriety testing that everybody knows,” Matelski explained. “There’s also the walk and turn and the horizontal gaze nystagmus or HGN.”
“The easiest way to describe HGN for somebody that doesn’t know is that it’s the bouncing of the eyes that occurs when someone is under the influence of certain drugs,” continued Matelski. “When a cop asks you to follow their finger, it’s what they are evaluating.”
Matelski does not meet with all drivers arrested for impairment in Ocean Township. Instead, his referrals come when an officer senses impairment even though the breath test registers a low or zero reading for blood alcohol content in the individual’s system.
“One of the things we do during an assessment is to determine if someone has a medical condition that might be causing their behavior (perceived intoxication), Matelski said. “They could be having a diabetic emergency, or it could be drug-related, prescription or otherwise.”
Observation proves key when it comes to Matelski’s role in evaluating the impaired driver. He checks the suspect’s blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. Matelski evaluates pupil size, as well as examining whether anything is in the accused’s nasal cavity or inside their mouth. Additionally, drivers are checked for needle marks.
“I look at and assess all these things and write a report based on my observations,” Matelski explained. “The next step is seeking to obtain a urine sample.”
If a suspect refuses to consent to providing a urine sample, police officials who find probable cause may then ask the court to issue a warrant to take their blood. It’s then up to the judge to decide whether the warrant should be granted and the accused brought to the hospital for the blood draw.
The decriminalization of marijuana should not greatly change the role of DREs in the state. After all, alcohol use is legal, and it’s still possible to face driving while intoxicated charges.
“With THC, you can still be impaired approximately 24 hours after you ingest it,” pointed out Matelski. “You might not feel that high from it, but you could still have issues with depth perception and not be able to make spatial decisions.”
With all that said, the New Jersey State Supreme Court is expected to rule on a case called the State v. Olenowski. Michael Olenowski questions whether DRE opinions are reliable or scientifically sound enough to warrant a DWI conviction.
