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British Officers Attend Specialized Training in Folsom

Editor: Alan Gray, NewsBlaze

The Folsom Police Department, in partnership with the California Highway Patrol, is hosting two British Police Officers from the Hampshire Constabulary for Drug Recognition Evaluator (D.R.E.) training in Folsom January 14th-24th 2008.

Constables James Fibbens and Paul Brown are participating in the D.R.E. training program, an effective means for peace officers to successfully learn to identify and evaluate individuals under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

The program is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and certified by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. The C.H.P. is the California statewide coordinator of this highly successful and respected program.

Constable Paul Brown is a former British Army officer and 12-year veteran of the Hampshire Constabulary. He works on a Motorcycle Team, assigned to the Impaired Driver Unit. Constable James Fibbens is assigned to the Traffic Department of the Hampshire Constabulary, also with duties in the Impaired Driver Unit. He is certified in Britain as a National Drug Recognition Instructor, instructing other British peace offices in the administration of Field Impairment Tests of suspected D.U.I. drivers.

Students in the challenging 64-hour D.R.E. course participate in classroom, laboratory, and field exercises designed to ensure their expertise in the detection and evaluation of drug or alcohol impaired subjects and provide the officers with a solid foundation for courtroom testimony during prosecution of these crimes. "It is in this area that I want to improve so that I can help make our roads safer for our families," said Hampshire Constable Paul Brown.

The D.R.E. training course in Folsom is taught by Folsom Police Detectives and CHP Officers. Over 40 peace officers from throughout the state of California, including CHP officers from many field offices and officers from local law enforcement agencies are attending this session.

The Folsom PD provides this training annually and has trained approximately 100 officers in the last several years. "Our department is honored to host all of these officers and this prestigious training course. Identifying impaired drivers and individuals under the influence is of paramount importance to the safety of our communities," said Sergeant Eric Heichlinger of the Folsom Police Department's Professional Standards and Training Unit.