Officers obtain D.R.E. certification

Officer Amy Smith and Officer Richard Kiser of the Tehachapi Police Department recently received their certification as Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) through training with the California Highway Patrol. The DRE course was developed and endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and certified by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

To qualify for attendance in the DRE course, Officer Smith and Officer Kiser previously completed training in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE).

The DRE course is the most in depth and advanced course in the SFST-ARIDE-DRE training series and, as such, involves a much larger time commitment. In addition to the initial 72-hour classroom course, candidates must successfully complete 32 hours of field training before the CHP can recommend them for certification by IACP.

The training and certification received by these two officers will greatly improve our ability to accurately identify drug impaired drivers and increase the safety on our roadways.

We are very proud of Officer Smith and Officer Kiser and recognize the tremendous effort they put forth to successfully complete this very intensive training. Congratulations Officer Smith and Officer Kiser!