MU Public Safety Institute hosts Drug Evaluation and Classification Training

MANSFIELD, PA – The Mansfield University Public Safety Training Institute hosted training for the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program.  The training is conducted and sponsored by the Pennsylvania DUI Association.

The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP) focuses on training police officers to recognize when an individual has been driving under the influence of drugs and to identify the type of drug causing impairment. The DECP was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and approved by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). The Pennsylvania DECP was initiated in 2004. Upon completion of their initial training, officers are certified as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) and become far more effective in identifying drug impaired individuals.

The Pennsylvania DECP will assist police officers in identifying the drug-impaired individual. Although the focus of the DRE curricula is on the identification of the drug-impaired driver, DRE skills are applied to many different law enforcement objectives. For example, DREs are frequently called upon to differentiate between drug influence and medical and/or mental disorders. Certified DREs are a valuable resource in combating the adverse impact of drugs in the communities we serve.

Twenty-five Pennsylvania State Troopers and municipal police officers from around the state will receive 72 hours of DECP training while at Mansfield University.  

Additional information regarding this program is available on the PA DUI website:  https://padui.org/pa-decp/