Drug Recognition Expert

A drug recognition expert or drug recognition evaluator (DRE) is a police officer trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to,  alcohol. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) coordinates the International Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program with support from the National Highway  Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) originated the program in the early 1970s. Back then LAPD officers noticed that many of the individuals arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) had very low or zero alcohol concentrations. The officers reasonably suspected that the arrestees were under the influence of drugs, but lacked the knowledge and skills to support their suspicions. In response, two LAPD sergeants collaborated with various medical doctors, research psychologists, and other medical professionals to develop a simple, standardized procedure for recognizing drug influence and impairment. Their efforts culminated in the development of a multi-step protocol and the first DRE program. The LAPD formally recognized the program in 1979.

The LAPD DRE program attracted NHTSA’s attention in the early 1980s. The two agencies collaborated to develop a standardized DRE protocol, which led to the development of the DEC Program. During the ensuing years, NHTSA and various other agencies and research groups examined the DEC program. Their studies demonstrated that a properly trained DRE can successfully identify drug impairment and accurately determine the category of drugs causing such impairment.

In 1987, NHTSA initiated DEC pilot programs in Arizona, Colorado, New York and Virginia. The states of Utah, California, and Indiana were added in 1988. Beginning in 1989, IACP and NHTSA expanded the DEC Program across the country. Currently, 43 states, the District of Columbia, three branches of the military, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and several countries around the world participate in the DEC Program.

In 1992 the governing board of the International Association of Chiefs of Police approved the creation of the Drug Recognition Section.  On June 10-13, 1995, the section hosted a training conference on impaired driving in Phoenix, Arizona. Since then the IACP Training Conference on Drugs, Alcohol and Impaired Driving has convened every year and is attended by DREs and their instructors, DUI enforcement officers, prosecutors, toxicologists, medical and school professionals, and other highway safety advocates.

The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety (MeBHS) provides oversight and funding for the DRE program in Maine.  The MeBHS works closely with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) and the Maine Department of Human Services through their Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL) to support the DRE program.

The MeBHS has appointed a MCJA representative as the IACP State DEC Coordinator.  The State DEC Coordinator works closely with the MeBHS to provide certification training and manage the DRE program statewide.  The DEC Coordinator has established several volunteer regional coordinators statewide to assist with the management of regional issues.  Maine has approximately 100 active DRE’s  and 17 DRE Instructors statewide.

Training and Certification

Please check back for future trainings.

Active DREs

Listed by County

Updated: 6/1/2022

York     Franklin, Kennebec, Somerset
Cunniff John Saco PD   Allen Seth MSP Traffic
Flint Robert Biddeford PD   Allen Tanya Pending
Jepson William Wells PD   Booth Garret MSP Skowhegan
McNeice Brian York PD   Dinsmore Ryan Waterville PD
Moore Philip S. Berwick PD   Drouin Anthony Augusta PD
Ogden Benjamin York PD   Finnegan Don MCJA
Parker Victor Biddeford PD   Gove Normand Gardiner PD
Prior Samantha Biddeford PD   Hastings Edward State Fire Marshal
Raymond Andrew Sanford PD   Hubert Bradley Winslow PD
Roy Karl Wells PD   Lyman Michael Somerset SO
Sargent Ashley Pending   Maloon Tyler MSP Skowhegan
Schoff Kevin Kennebunk PD   McDonald Kyle Waterville PD
Walton Conner MSP Alfred   Roberts Logan Somerset SO
        Rogers Sara Augusta PD
Cumberland   Wilder Blake Waterville PD
Anastasoff Shawn Scarborough PD        
Benjamin Rory Cape Elizabeth PD   Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, Waldo
Bernier Joshua Brunswick PD   Beal Joshua MWS
Feeney Andrew Cumberland SO   Bowers Mathew Topsham PD
Gallant Eugene Windham PD   Bryan Eric Bath PD
Gordan Colin Falmouth PD   Dietlin John Sagadahoc SO
Haskell Evan Westbrook PD   Jandreau Jordan Rockland PD
Hatch Theodore Gorham PD   McDonald Cassandra Waldo SO
Hendee Scott Cumberland PD   Sharpe Matthew Sagadahoc SO
Hinkley Michael Gorham PD   Tilton Nathanael Knox SO
Hinkley Stephen Gorham PD        
Libby Robert Judicial Marshal   Penobscot, Piscataquis
Maher Lee Windham PD   Angelo Sarah Orono PD
Mattox Scot  Falmouth PD   Bailey Ryan Old Town PD
Monsees Tyler Cumberland SO   Barrieau Camron Penobscot SO
Ramsay Jessica South Portland PD   Benjamin Eduardo Holden PD
Reese Timothy Bridgton PD   Cook Robert Piscataquis SO
Roma John Brunswick PD   Day Stephen Holden PD
Theriault Zachary Portland PD   Gray Christopher Orono PD
Thurlow Kaitlyn Gorham PD   Johnson Nicholas MWS
Thurlow Michael Scarborough PD   Kurth Kari MSP Bangor
Williams Raymond Windham PD   Mangino Nicholas MWS
        Miller William Hampden PD
Androscoggin, Oxford   Murphy Lucas Old Town PD
Blais Timothy Lewiston PD   Olmstead David MSP Bangor
Bohacik Devon Androscoggin SO   Perry Jordan Bangor PD
Levesque Andrew Lisbon PD   Pina Michael Piscataquis SO
Mailhot Gregory Androscoggin SO   Rusby Tyler Bangor PD
McCormick Terrance Auburn PD   Turcotte Aaron MSP Bangor
Miller Don Rumford PD   Walsh John Penobscot SO
Pealatere Gregory Auburn PD        
Schmitz Aaron Lewiston PD   Aroostook
        Bouchard Adam Aroostook SO
Hancock, Washington   Cochran Chad Caribou PD
Austin Dana MSP Ellsworth   Cyr Jasmine Houlton PD
Cake Judson Bar Harbor PD   McPherson Kegan Caribou PD
Chapman Travis MSP Ellsworth   Merchant Laney MSP-F
Claroni David Baileyville PD        
Dupuis Dakota Hancock SO        
Hardy Jarrod Bar Harbor PD        
Simpson Christopher Washington SO        
Stevens Ethan Washington SO        

Listed Alphabetically

Last Name First Name Agency   Last Name First Name Agency
Allen Seth MSP Augusta   Lyman Michael Somerset SO
Allen Tanya Waterville PD   Maher Lee Windham PD
Anastasoff Shawn Scarborough PD   Mailhot Gregory Androscoggin SO
Angelo Sarah Orono PD   Maloon Tyler MSP Skowhegan
Austin Dana MSP Ellsworth   Mangino Nicholas IFW
Bailey Ryan Old Town PD   Mattox Scot Falmouth PD
Barrieau Camron Penobscot SO   McCormick Terrance Auburn PD
Beal Joshua IFW   McDonald Cassandra Waldo SO
Benjamin Eduardo Holden PD   McDonald Kyle Waterville PD
Benjamin Rory Cape Elizabeth    McNeice Brian York PD
Bernier Joshua Brunswick PD   McPherson Kegan Caribou PD
Blais Timothy Lewiston PD   Merchant Laney MSP-F
Bohacik Devon Androscoggin SO   Miller Donald Rumford PD
Booth Garret MSP Skowhegan   Miller William Hampden PD
Bouchard Adam Aroostook SO   Monsees Tyler Cumberland SO
Bowers Mathew Topsham PD   Moore Philip S Berwick PD
Bryan Eric Bath PD   Murphy Lucas Old Town PD
Cake Judson Bar Harbor PD   Ogden Benjamin York PD
Chapman Travis MSP Ellsworth   Olmstead David MSP Bangor
Claroni David Baileyville PD   Parker Victor Biddeford PD
Cochran Chad Caribou PD   Pealatere Gregory Auburn PD
Cook Robert Piscataquis SO   Perry Jordan Bangor PD
Cunniff John Saco PD   Pina Michael Piscataquis SO
Cyr Jasmine Houlton PD   Prior Samantha Biddeford PD
Day Stephen Holden PD   Ramsey Jessica S. Portland PD
Dietlin John Sagadahoc SO   Raymond Andrew Sanford PD
Dinsmore Ryan Waterville PD   Reese Timothy Bridgton PD
Drouin Anthony Augusta PD   Roberts Logan Somerset SO
Dupuis Dakota Hancock SO   Rogers Sara Augusta PD
Feeney Andrew Cumberland SO   Roma John Brunswick PD
Finnegan Don MCJA   Roy Karl Wells PD
Flint Robert Biddeford PD   Rusby Tyler Bangor PD
Gallant Eugene Windham PD   Sargent Ashley N. Berwick PD
Gordan Colin Falmouth PD   Schmitz Aaron Lewiston PD
Gove Normand Gardiner PD   Schoff Kevin Kennebunk PD
Gray Chrotopher Orono PD   Sharpe Matthew Sagadahoc SO
Hardy Jerrod Bar Harbor PD   Simpson Christopher Washington SO
Haskell Evan Westbrook PD   Stevens Ethan Washington SO
Hastings Edward Fire Marshal   Theriault Zachary Portland PD
Hatch Theodore Gorham PD   Thurlow Kaitlyn Gorham PD
Hendee Scott Cumberland PD   Thurlow Michael Scarborough PD
Hinkley Michael Gorham PD   Tilton Nathanael Knox SO
Hinkley Stephen Gorham PD   Turcotte Aaron MSP Bangor
Hubert Bradley Winslow PD   Walsh John Penobscot SO
Jandreau Jordan Rockland PD   Walton Conner MSP Alfred
Jepson William Wells PD   Wilder Blake Waterville PD
Johnson Ncholas MWS-Greenville   Williams Raymond Windham PD
Kurth Kari MSP Bangor        
Levesque Andrew Lisbon PD        
Libby Robert Judicial Marshal        
Forms

Additional forms can be found on HETL's Forensic Web-site.

Manuals

DRE Pre-School Manuals:

Mar 1999 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
May 2002 -- Instructor Manual (PDF)
Sep 2002 -- Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2006 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2007 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2010 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2011 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
May 2013 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Oct 2015 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Feb 2018 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)

DRE 7-Day School Manuals:

Apr 1993 -- Student Manual (PDF)
Aug 1999 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
May 2002 -- Instructor Manual (PDF)
Sep 2002 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2006 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2007 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2010 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Jan 2011 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
May 2013 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Oct 2015 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)
Feb 2018 -- Instructor Manual (PDF), Student Manual (PDF)