With marijuana DUIs on the rise, Lodi PD to set up checkpoint

DUI checkpoints have been proven to reduce the number of people injured or killed in collisions in whichdrugs or alcohol are involved, according to a post on the Lodi Police Department’s Facebook page

The department will conduct one such checkpoint on Friday, in which officers will look for people driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as well as those driving without a valid license. This will take place from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. at an undisclosed location.

According to Lt. Fernando Martinez, specially trained officers known as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) will be on duty to evaluate people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs, a process that differs slightly from evaluating drunken drivers. Officer Michael Hitchcock is one such officer, having completed the threeweek training program in 2016.

The International Drug Evaluation and Classification Program’s website describes the three phases of the training. Officers first attend a 16hour DRE Preschool, during which they receive an overview of the procedures, learn about the seven drug categories and demonstrate proficiency in the Standard Field Sobriety Tests commonly used for both drugs and alcohol.

During the DRE School, which takes a total of 56 hours, the officers learn more about the procedures, drug combinations, case preparation and courtroom testimony, as well as attend expanded sessions on each drug category: Central Nervous System depressants, CNS stimulants, hallucinogens, dissociative anesthetics, narcotic analgesics, inhalants and cannabis. The seven-day course concludes with a written exam.

After completing the course, officers must then complete a minimum of 12 drug evaluations while supervised by an instructor. Of those evaluations, officers must identify people under the influence of at least three different drug categories and obtain a minimum toxicological corroboration rate of 75 percent. Finally, the officer must pass a final knowledge examination and receive the approval of two DRE instructors.

Hitchcock explained that marijuana is one of the most common drugs that he and his fellow officers encounter, especially after the passing of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act in 2016.

“We’re getting a lot more marijuana DUIs, especially with the recent legislation,” Hitchcock said.

Hitchcock will either pull over somebody suspected of driving under the influence of drugs, or respond to a request by a fellow officer. Upon arrival, he/she conducts an initial evaluation in the field, checking the subject’s vital signs and pupils. If the subject is believed to be under the influence, he/she will continue the evaluation at the jail.

The subject’s vital signs are checked multiple times, and his or her pupils are checked for dilation in a dark room. The officer then interviews the subject and checks for signs of drug abuse such as injection sites from needles or burns on their lips from using glass pipes.

The officer also consults a chart, taking into account the subject’s body temperature and blood pressure to determine which category of drugs the subject had used. After obtaining a warrant, a blood or urine sample will be screened to determine the specific drug or drugs used.

Hitchcock added that the DRE program is mostly funded by grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety and costs the Lodi Police Department almost no money.