Two local awards were presented at the DUII Multidisciplinary Task Force Conference
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Tuesday, May 30th, 2023 in Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories
ENTERPRISE– Two local awards were presented at the DUII Multidisciplinary Task Force Conference held in Canyonville recently. These awards were presented to the Enterprise Police Department and to Trooper Boon Setser with Oregon State Police.
Trooper Setser was recognized as the 2022 Drug Recognition (DRE) Expert of the Year. In a letter from The Transportation Safety Division, it was noted that “Trooper Setser’s addition to the state’s DRE Instructor cadre as made an immediate positive impact to the program.”
What is DRE? A drug recognition expert (DRE) is a police officer trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol. Certification is extensive and requires a lot of time in the classroom and practical experience. Once certified, evaluations conducted on drivers involve a thorough 12 step process where the DRE can determine impairment, if the impairment is due to an injury, illness or other medical complication, or if it is drug-related. If the impairment is due to drugs, then the DRE works to determine the category or combination of categories of drugs that is the most likely source of the impairment.
The Enterprise Police Department was recognized as 2022 DUII Enforcement Agency of the Year. n a letter from The Transportation Safety Division,, it was noted that “the Enterprise Police Department stood out even month such a talented and dedicated statewide group, and it’s not hard to understand why. The efforts of your team to promote highway safety by engaging in effective DUII enforcement activities undoubtedly made a significant impact on the wellbeing of the area’s citizens and visitors.”
It should be noted that throughout the state of Oregon, only 10 awards were given, and two of those came out of Eastern Oregon. According to ODOT, at last year’s conference, there was only one award, to the Bend Police Department, east of Portland/Salem/Eugene area.
