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
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Please check back for future trainings.
- Active DREs
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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
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- DRE Lo g (DOC)
- DRE Face Sheet (DOC)
- DRE Re-Certification Checklist (DOC)
- DRE Re-Certification & Assurances Form (PDF)
Additional forms can be found on HETL's Forensic Web-site.
- Manuals
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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)