Officers trained to find illegal drug use

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Two law enforcement officers from Moody County have completed training to be experts at recognizing drugs and drug use among people they encounter in their jobs.
Flandreau Police Officer Taylor White and Moody County Sheriff’s Deputy Jared Anderson spent one week in a classroom in Sioux Falls and one week working alongside officers in Sacramento, Calif., doing drug arrests.
About a half percent of officers in the nation have been certified in the Drug Recognition Experts program, which means two newly trained local officers which bodes well for the area, White said.
White and Anderson join a third officer, Sheriff’s Deputy Carl Brekke, who was previously certified.
“I can honestly say it is the best training I’ve ever had,” Anderson said.
White and Anderson said the skills they learned are something they use every day on the job, whether it is ruling out that a person is using drugs and driving or finding that they are impaired, based on signs that untrained law enforcement may not recognize. That can lead to a driving under the influence of drugs arrest, similar to a DUI when someone is over the legal limit for alcohol consumption.
“I just want people to know this can happen,” Anderson said. Many people don’t realize they can be charged with a drug DUI.

“When it comes to drugs, it kind of depends on that type of person, their tolerance for that type of drug, how often they use, the quantity they use at the time, if they’re mixing it with other drugs,” White said. “The drug recognition expert is basically the top tier of impaired driving.”
One of White’s recent drug arrests involved a sizeable amount of methamphetamines, marijuana, THC wax and prescription medications, including amphetamines and hydrocodone. In that case, a woman from Marshall, Minn., was arrested at 1:20 a.m. May 2 leaving the Royal River Casino, Chief Zach Weber said.
She was charged with six counts of possession of drugs and distribution of meth.
“It’s probably the biggest one in the recent past,” Weber said.
Having local officers trained in drug recognition means that knowledge can be shared with their peers in law enforcement, too, he said.
The knowledge that allows White and Anderson to recognize what type of drug a person may be on, knowing that everyone is nervous when pulled over, is useful in making arrests, Weber said. “Them being able to visually see the signs of drug use is helpful.”
So far, White’s training has made a difference, Weber said. “It’s only been two to three weeks. It’s already paid off.”
The training was paid for through federal grant money.
Officers, including Deputy Anderson out in the county, regularly arrest drivers for drugs, more often than residents in the area might think. The Flandreau police are trying to bring awareness to the drug use activity by highlighting some arrests on social media. With Interstate 29 slicing through the county, drug activity is common, Anderson said.
White, 24, has goals of getting impaired drivers, whether from alcohol or drugs, off the streets and curbing distribution locally. “The main focus is whether they’re able to operate a vehicle safely,” he said.
Anderson, 26, said the training has given him additional tools to help with cases. Because they have completed training, they also can be certified by a judge as expert witnesses in criminal cases.
The officers see people bringing drugs into town both for distribution to local people and to deliver to others who live outside the area. They are hoping the more drug arrest they make, the less activity they eventually will see.
The two both work nights and sometimes collaborate on cases, as a result. One may notice something that the other might have missed, for example. That leads to more solid arrest decisions.
“I think having two sets of eyes that are trained for this has been wildly beneficial,” Anderson said.