Thirty-five police officers from across the region had the opportunity last week to participate in a training designed to enhance their ability to recognize drivers who may be drug impaired.

The two-day Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training was offered at the Berks County Fire Training Center. It was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with input from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Technical Advisory Panel and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.

ARIDE was created to address the gap in training between the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) programs. The SFST is used by officers at the scene of a motor vehicle stop to assess drivers they suspect of being under the influence of alcohol. The DEC programs use officers trained as drug recognition experts to conduct drug evaluations in a more controlled environment, like a detention facility.