FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
CONTACT: Richard Holt
(615) 207-0009, mobile
MEDIA ALERT
Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) School Media Observation Opportunity
Memphis, Tennessee – The 2015 Drug Recognition Expert class is currently taking place at Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in Memphis. A DRE is a law enforcement officer trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol. Tennessee currently has 123 certified DREs across the state. Members of the media are formally invited to attend the evaluation portion of the course, where they can learn more about the DRE program and observe students identifying test subjects under the influence.
In 2013, Tennessee lost an estimated 354 lives in impaired driving crashes. This is impairment by alcohol, drugs, or both. Approximately ten percent of Tennessee’s overall traffic fatalities involve drugged driving. Tennessee is bordered by eight other states and has 1,104 miles of interstate. These unique circumstances make the state a common travel route for the drug trade.
The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program has received national acclaim for its success in identifying the drug-impaired driver. Officers trained as DREs are frequently called upon to differentiate between drug influence and medical and/or mental disorders and is an extremely valuable tool in combating the adverse impact of drug- and alcohol- impaired driving in our communities.
WHO: Members of the media
WHAT: Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) School
WHEN: Wednesday, May 13, 2015
1:00 p.m. CST
WHERE: Shelby County Sheriff's Office Training Center
993 Dovecrest Rd.
Memphis, TN
For questions about the event, please contact Governor’s Highway Safety Office Law Enforcement Administrator Richard Holt at RM_Holt@frontiernet.net.
For more information about the DRE Program, visit the Governor’s Highway Safety Office website at http://tntrafficsafety.org/training/dre-school.