John Horvath, Police Chief
168 Main St.
Rockport, MA 01834
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Rockport Police Sergeant Earns Drug Recognition Evaluation Certification
ROCKPORT — Chief John Horvath is pleased to announce that Rockport Police Sgt. Michael Marino has been certified as a Drug Recognition Expert.
Drug Recognition Experts (DRE) are police officers who are specially trained to recognize the signs of impairment in drivers who are under the influence of drugs other than — or in combination with — alcohol.
Sgt. Marino completed the extensive program early this month, earning his certification as a DRE and becoming the Rockport Police Department’s in-house expert in the signs and effects of drug intoxication.
The multifaceted certification program consists of three core phases, as well as a pre-requisite certification in Standard Field Sobriety Testing. The first phase consists of a 16-hour pre-school session that provides an overview of the seven drug categories and the drug impairment evaluation procedure.
Phase two consists of 56 classroom hours that build upon the lessons of phase one, while expanding the curriculum to include lessons on drug categories and combinations, the role that human vital signs play in determining which drugs a person has in their system. The second phase also has an in-depth unit on eye examinations, including how a person’s pupil size in certain lighting conditions can serve as an indicator for drugs they have ingested.
The final phase required Sgt. Marino to complete a minimum of 12 supervised drug evaluations on location at the Maricopa County Jail in Phoenix. To pass the course, Sgt. Marino first had to identify individuals under the influence of at least three of the seven drug categories, with a 75 percent success rate. He then had to pass a written exam that took more than eight hours to complete.
“I’m proud of Sgt. Marino for completing this extremely rigorous program, which will ultimately benefit both his fellow officers and our community as a whole.” Chief Horvath said. “He’s now equipped to lead the complex work of identifying individuals who are impaired by drugs other than alcohol and help us resolve impaired driving cases.”
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