Recently, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit Deputy Joshua Offutt completed training and became a certified Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

Deputy Offutt’s certification is part of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office's ongoing efforts to reduce traffic fatalities and increase safety for road users, passengers, and pedestrians across the Pikes Peak region. He will serve as one of only 123 DREs in Colorado, a dedicated team of individuals who rapidly deploy (upon request) to assist law enforcement agencies across the state.

Funding for Deputy Offutt’s training and certification was paid for by our partners at the Colorado Department of Transportation.

A Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) is an individual who has completed all phases of the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program's (DECP) training requirements for certification as established by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A DRE is skilled in detecting and identifying persons under the influence of drugs and in determining the category or categories of drugs causing the impairment.

“I am elated at Deputy Offutt’s recent certification to serve as a Drug Recognition Expert for our agency and community,” stated El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “Deputy Offutt consistently demonstrates dedication to DUI enforcement and works tirelessly to make our roads safer for everyone. This training will help our Office and surrounding agencies with the proper identification of drugs or alcohol used when addressing impaired driving.

“I thank our Colorado Department of Transportation partners for their continued commitment to my Office and congratulate Deputy Offutt on completing this critical, high-level training.”
 

To learn more about DRE certification, click here.