Police officers, sheriff’s deputies and conservation officers from fourteen different law enforcement agencies gathered in Perry this week for an Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement training.

Officer and certified Drug Recognition Expert Matt Aswegan with the Perry Police Department was responsible for organizing the event, after recognizing the need here locally.

“Just like any area of the state, we have drug impaired drivers, just like we have alcohol impaired drivers.  All too often, drug impaired drivers are harder to detect than alcohol impaired drivers, simply because officers haven’t been trained in it.”

Experts from the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and the State Patrol taught the officers different ways to recognize the impairing effects of drugs and alcohol.

A highlight of the two-day class was a “wet lab” Monday afternoon, where local residents volunteered to be tested.

“The people we are testing have been drinking alcohol today and basically what we’re going to do is get these officers trained on how to administer field sobriety tests properly.  In addition to that, they’ve also learned and will be certified on how to do a couple additional sobriety tests that haven’t been trained for in the (law enforcement) academy” says State Trooper and Training Instructor Marc Griggs. He says in addition to the officers learning new skills, this lab also helps educate the public.

“We play a little game with the drinkers, we have them turn their keys in when they feel they couldn’t operate a motor vehicle safely.  The two that I’ve seen today, they’ve each turned their keys in at a 0.04, which is half way to the illegal limit in the State of Iowa.  So at a 0.04 that’s telling them they shouldn’t operate a motor vehicle.  Which, when they start drinking again, out at a bar or something they’re going to say ‘You know, I can’t drive because I may be arrested for drunk driving if I feel this way.’”

The class was offered at no cost to the officers thanks to the GTSB, and donations from local businesses.  Oswegan says special thanks goes out to the Perry Hy-Vee, Fareway, Casey’s General Store and Kum and Go for their contributions.

“It shows that it’s not just the police officers that are out there focused on drug impaired, or just impaired drivers in general.  The whole community wants these impaired drivers off the road.  We want those people that go out and drink to drink responsibly and to have a designated driver.  The community wants these people high on drugs off the road.  It was very refreshing to see all these businesses get behind this training.”

Among the agencies represented at the training were officers from the Perry Police Department, Jefferson Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Johnston Police Department, Chariton Police Department, Indianola Police Department, Pleasant Hill Police Department, Story City Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, West Des Moines Police Department and Polk County Conservation.

For a video of the training CLICK HERE.