The Honolulu Police Department administers the
Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP)
in accordance with the national standards approved
by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) and the International Association of Chiefs
of Police (IACP). The guidelines are set forth herein.
DEFINITIONS

Agency DECP coordinator: The person appointed
by the commander of the Traffic Division to
assume responsibility for the training,
certification, and recertification of officers
in the DECP. The coordinator also maintains
the records of drug recognition expert (DRE)
officers and a database of all Operating a
Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant
(OVUII) cases involving drugs.

Drug category: One of the seven drug categories
classified in the DECP (central nervous system
depressants, central nervous system stimulants,
hallucinogens, dissociative anesthetics, narcotic
analgesics, inhalants, and cannabis).

Drug Evaluation and Classification Program:
A set of procedures designed to train officers
on how to detect, apprehend, and evaluate drug-impaired drivers.

DRE: An officer who successfully completes the
DECP preschool, seven-day school, and the
certification phase of the training.

DRE instructor: A certified DRE who has shown
proficiency in the 12-step drug evaluation
process for at least one year, successfully
completed the IACP- and the NHTSA- approved
DRE instructor course, taught at least a two-hour
session at a DRE preschool or seven-day school,
and who has observed at least two student certification evaluations.

State DECP coordinator: The person appointed
by the director of the Motor Vehicle Safety Office
of the state Department of Transportation to
assume responsibility for certifying and recertifying
all law enforcement officers in the state who have
completed all requirements for certification in the
DECP. The coordinator also maintains the integrity
of the DECP for participating law enforcement agencies in the state.

SELECTION OF DRE CANDIDATES

A. Officers who wish to be considered for
the DECP shall fill out an application provided
by the Traffic Division and forward it, via chain
of command, to the agency DECP coordinator in the
Traffic Division.

B. The agency coordinator shall evaluate
all applications and inform qualifying officers,
through their chain of command, of their acceptance.

TRAINING

Training is offered using the latest NHTSA- and
IACP-approved curriculum. Officers selected for
the DECP must first complete training in a two-day
DRE preschool. Upon successful completion of the
preschool, the officers advance to the seven-day DRE school.

CERTIFICATION AND EXAMINATION

A. The certification phase should be
completed within six months after completion
of the seven-day school. However, the state
DECP coordinator may grant an extension of up to six months.

B. No officer shall be certified as a
DRE until two instructors attest to the qualification for certification.

C. National DECP standards shall govern
how the certification phase is conducted.

D. An officer who has administered at
least three evaluations may then take the
Knowledge Examination, which consists of two parts.

E. The officer shall complete and submit a
professional resume highlighting drug-related training.

F. The officer shall submit a completed
progress log. In addition, two instructors and
the agency coordinator must recommend certification,
and the state DECP coordinator must indicate approval.

G. A DRE certification is valid for two
years from the date of the state DECP coordinator’s approval.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AGENCY DECP COORDINATOR

A. Maintenance of DRE Records

1. The agency DECP coordinator shall
maintain the individual files. The records
shall be kept at a designated site in the DRE office.

2. The coordinator shall provide the
officers’ proof of training and certification
to the Training Division to update the officers’ training records.

B. Statistical Data Keeping

1. The coordinator shall input the arrest
information into the national DRE database.
The information provided shall be basic, for
statistical purposes only, and shall not violate
any privacy laws or civil rights.

2. Access to the arrest records shall be
limited to the agency and the state DECP coordinators.

PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING A DRE

A. A DRE may be requested for, but not
limited to, the following situations:

1. An OVUII arrest where the breath alcohol
concentration does not match the level of impairment observed;

2. A subject is arrested for OVUII
and evidence of drugs or medication is present;

3. A motor vehicle collision involving
injuries or death where there is reasonable
suspicion that drug impairment may be a factor; and

4. To assist investigative units in
determining whether a suspect is under the
influence of drugs prior to an interview.

B. The Communications Division
shall make a request in the arresting officer’s
district for a DRE officer. If none is available,
calls shall be made on other radio frequencies.

C. If no on-duty DRE is available,
the arresting officer shall notify the Traffic
Division and request a DRE. Traffic Division
personnel shall notify the sergeant in charge
of the Selective Enforcement Unit or the agency
DECP coordinator or a designee.

RECERTIFICATION

A. A DRE officer must be recertified
every two years from the date of initial
certification with the following requirements:

1. At least four DRE evaluations must be done
every two years. At least one of these evaluations
must be witnessed by a DRE instructor, and copies
of the remaining three evaluations must be
reviewed by an instructor;

2. A DRE officer shall complete an approved
eight-hour, in-service training that must be
related to the DRE field and approved by the agency DECP coordinator; and

3. The DRE officer shall submit an updated
resume and rolling log to the agency DECP coordinator.

B. When a DRE officer fulfills the above
requirements, the agency DECP coordinator shall
recommend his or her recertification to the state DECP coordinator.

C. Recertification shall be completed no
later than one year following the expiration of the DRE certification.

DECERTIFICATION

The agency DECP coordinator may decertify a
DRE officer based on, but not limited to, the following:

A. The DRE officer fails to meet the
recertification requirements within the prescribed time;

B. The DRE officer fails to respond to
a request for reasons other than a staffing
shortage in the field, responding to or
actively investigating a case, or a lawful
or direct order from his or her supervisor;

C. The DRE officer voluntarily requests to be decertified;

D. The DRE officer fails to perform or conduct evaluations proficiently; or

E. The DRE officer resigns, retires, or
is terminated from the department. However,
if the DRE officer is relocating to another
law enforcement agency or department outside
of the state of Hawaii, the officer may take
steps to have his or her certification reinstated.
The DRE officer may contact the state DECP
coordinator for the location and ask that the
certification be reinstated according to the national DECP standards.