Police officers receive top honors for drug recognition work

Police officers receive top honors for drug recognition work

The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute recently honored a select group of police officers for their efforts in reducing impaired driving and making Indiana roads safer. The officers recognized, 22 in total, are part of the state’s Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) program.

DREs receive specialized training to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs. Because of their training, they are often called upon by law enforcement to assist with traffic stops with the goal of keeping impaired drivers off the road.

In recognition of Indiana’s DREs, ICJI held its seventh annual awards ceremony this past Friday in the Grand Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, during which the following awards were presented: (18) Longevity Awards, the Emeritus Award, the DRE Performance Award, the Officer David Moore DRE of the Year Award and the Lt. Gary Dudley DRE Instructor of the Year Award.

“Every officer recognized today plays an instrumental role in keeping our roads and communities safe,” said Devon McDonald, ICJI Executive Director. “Their primary goal is to keep drug-impaired drivers off the road and, subsequently, lives from being lost. It was an honor to recognize their efforts.”

The 2021 DRE of the Year Award, formally named after fallen Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer David Moore, was presented to two-time winner Indiana State Police Trooper Noah Ewing.

Trooper Ewing, with the Jasper Post, has served with the Indiana State Police for over six years. He completed his DRE certification in 2019, and not long after, cemented a reputation as a top performer in the program, conducting the most DRE evaluations (37) out of any officer in the state.

In addition to the 2020 David Moore DRE of the Year Award, Trooper Ewing has also received the Jasper District Trooper of the Year, Jasper District’s Top OWI Trooper and the Life-Saving Award. His most recent honor was awarded for his outstanding contributions to the DRE program in 2021.

“Serving as a drug recognition expert is a calling,” said Robert Duckworth, ICJI Traffic Safety Director. “Routinely, they encounter situations involving drivers who are on one, possibly several, illegal substances. It takes a committed effort by each DRE to complete the additional work to perform each and every evaluation.”

Indiana State Excise Police Sergeant Christopher Smith was presented with the 2021 DRE Instructor of the Year Award, named to honor the memory of Indiana State Police Lieutenant Gary Dudley.

Sergeant Smith is a veteran of law enforcement with a career that spans more than 20 years, 16 of those with excise police. In 2005, he completed his DRE certification and became an instructor three years later.

Along with training officers in impairment detection, Sergeant Smith also mentors new instructors. This past year, in addition to the DRE program, he taught several courses within the Standard Field Sobriety Test and Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement programs.

Sergeant Smith received the DRE Instructor of the Year Award for his passion for officer mentorship and exemplary service in 2021.

“These officers aren’t in this line of work for the recognition,” said Marshall Depew, Indiana DRE Program Coordinator. “They developed this skillset and are teaching it to other officers to keep us, every day road users, out of harm’s way.”

Other high honors handed out during the ceremony included the DRE Performance Award and the Emeritus Award. The Performance Award was presented to Crawfordsville Police Department Officer Matthew Schroeter for conducting 25 DRE evaluations last year, and the Emeritus Award went to Peter Mungovan, who served with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, for contributions made in retirement.

Click here to view or download photos from the 2022 Indiana Drug Recognition Expert Awards Program.