Officers from across Colorado gather for hands-on crash course in recognizing impaired drivers — and possibly saving lives.

In a small training room nestled in the Western Slope town of Rifle, Colorado, a group of law enforcement officers is undergoing one of the most intense and specialized training programs in the nation — and they’re doing it with one mission in mind: to save lives.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), in partnership with law enforcement agencies statewide, is hosting its Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) School from July 14 to 24. The 10-day course is designed to equip officers with the skills to identify drug-impaired drivers — a skill increasingly critical in a state where DUI-related fatalities are still claiming hundreds of lives.

Training with Purpose

According to CDOT, 687 people died on Colorado roads in 2024. Disturbingly, more than one-third of those deaths involved alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both.

For Lieutenant Jennifer Plutt of the Park County Sheriff’s Office, that’s not just a statistic — it’s a call to action.

“This training is giving these officers the knowledge and the tools to combat impaired driving,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s about saving lives, and we’re doing just that.”

This year’s DRE cohort includes 15 officers from 13 different agencies, many of whom hail from small, rural mountain communities where resources for specialized training can be limited.

What It Takes to Be a DRE

Becoming a certified Drug Recognition Expert is no small feat. The program involves 160 hours of classroom and fieldwork, teaching officers to recognize the physical and psychological effects of various substances on the human body.

“It’s more than just spotting red eyes or slurred speech,” Plutt explained. “We’re taught how different drugs affect vital signs — like whether they raise or lower body temperature, blood pressure, or pupil size — and how to match those signs to specific drug categories.”

From stimulants to depressants, hallucinogens to inhalants, officers learn to classify substances based on a range of physiological clues. And while lab drug tests can confirm the presence of substances, they often can’t prove impairment — a crucial distinction in legal proceedings. That’s where DRE evaluations come in.

“These evaluations are key to ensuring fair prosecutions,” said Plutt. “They connect the dots between toxicology reports and real-world impairment.”

A Journey That Extends Beyond Colorado

Midway through the course, students will travel to San Francisco, where they’ll take part in field certifications. Working in real-world conditions, they’ll evaluate civilians who are under the influence of controlled substances in a controlled, supervised environment.

It’s an intensive, sobering part of the training — one that cements the seriousness of the work and prepares officers for situations they’ll face on the streets.

Reaching Underserved Communities

Perhaps most importantly, this training is helping to level the playing field for rural law enforcement agencies, many of which are underfunded and overstretched.

“Over 65% of the students come from rural areas,” Plutt said. “Often, they’ve never had access to training like this. Now they’ll be taking that knowledge back to their communities.”

Communities like Park County, where winding mountain roads and long response times can make impaired driving especially dangerous, will soon have certified DREs embedded in their departments — a force multiplier for local public safety.

More Than Just a Badge

While the training is scientific and structured, it’s also deeply personal. Officers know they’ll carry the emotional weight of what they see and the people they try — and sometimes fail — to save.

But amid the data and diagnoses, there’s a powerful sense of purpose.

“When you stop a driver before they hurt someone — or themselves — you’re not just enforcing a law,” said Plutt. “You might be changing the course of someone’s life.”

Article Summary:

• Event: CDOT’s Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training school in Rifle, Colorado (July 14–24)

• Participants: 15 officers from 13 agencies across Colorado

• Purpose: Teach officers to identify impaired drivers through scientific evaluation

• Importance: Over one-third of 2024’s 687 Colorado traffic fatalities involved impairment

• Training Includes: 160 hours of instruction, hands-on evaluations in San Francisco

• Impact: Focus on supporting rural law enforcement with advanced training