Symposium on Traffic Safety
June 21-24, 2021

DRE Topics

• The Benefits of Using Body Worn Camera During a Drug Influence Evaluation

  - Lieutenant Allan Kolak, Cape Coral (FL) Police Department

  In this session, Lt. Kolak will explore the use of Body Worn Cameras (BWC) during a Drug Influence Evaluation. He’ll demonstrate ways to operate and deal effectively with using a BWC during contact with a subject and a DRE, explain how to properly deploy and utilize your BWC system, and discuss the benefits of wearing it to build a strong case. The proper camera positioning, lighting, and audio applications due to the different aspects of such during the evaluation will also be covered.

• DRE Evaluations

  - Florida Drug Recognition Experts

  Certified Florida DREs can take advantage of this session to perform evaluations in front an instructor for recertification and complete the proper paperwork or turn in recertification forms. In addition, veteran DRE instructors will be available to answer your questions.

• Make Your Product the Best It Can Be (Best Practices for DRE Instructors and DREs)

  - Don Decker, MA State DECP Coordinator, Nahant Police Department

  This interactive workshop will cover practices DRE Instructors and DREs should be familiar with. Don will review common misconceptions about the evaluation process, proper pronunciation and commonly mispronounced terms, misconceptions of testing and evaluation procedures, and best practice for both Instructors and DREs.

• Mining for Gold: A Deeper Look Into the "Why" (DRE Version)

  - Assistant Chief of Police Matt Myers, Peachtree City (GA) Police Department
  - Michael Blute, GA State DECP Coordinator

  This highly interactive session takes a deeper looking into why we do what we do. Michael Blute and Matt Myers will share some of the often overlooked and under-explained sections in 981-page manual, discuss source material from some of the common inferences, and elaborate on the six exceptions. You will have an opportunity to discuss other strategies and defenses you have encountered.

• Physiology Review

  - Brad Owens, GA Public Safety Training Center/Law Enforcement Operations/Police Academy Division

  Strengthen your existing knowledge of basic physiology. This session will provide a review of the Physiology and Drug portions of the DRE curriculum, including Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Elimination. Brad Owens will explain why it is important for DREs to understand these processes in relation to duration and effects of drugs.

• Synthetic Opioids and their Impact on the DRE Investigator

  - H. Chip Walls, Forensic Toxicologist

  Chip Walls will explain that drugs you may have heard about, just may be the cause of your false negative toxicology testing. Such as the three K’s: Kratom, Khat, Kava; Esketamine, loperamide, Tramadol, Tapentadol, Krokodil; the new sleeping Pills, Designer benzodiazepines, and Phenibut. He’ll discuss the chemistry and pharmacology of these drugs/classes, how they fit into the DRE symptomatology chart, the limitations of toxicology testing, and the known or expected signs and symptoms of Impairment following their use.

DUI Enforcement

• Antidepressants and Driving

  - Assistant Chief Matt Myers, Peachtree City (GA) Police Department

  According to the CDC, nearly 15% of adults over 18 report using antidepressant medications in the past 30 days, yet officers infrequently have a strong grasp of how these medications affect driving ability. This session will discuss research on the potential for antidepressants to impair driving ability, baseline driving performance of patients, and the role of antidepressants drug-drug interactions in drivers.

• Cannabis or Hemp? Can You Tell the Difference?

  - H. Chip Walls, Forensic Toxicologist

  In this session, Chip Walls will present challenges to common myths and misconceptions about cannabis the plant, its medicinal use, and the impact it has on driving ability. He’ll share the latest research on cannabis effects on driving skills and abilities, and the impact the 2018 Farm Bill has had on DUID and law enforcement.

• The Complete DUI Report

  - Officer Andy Borrows, Jupiter (FL) Police Department

  This session is designed to improve the overall quality of your DUI reports to clearly convey all events of a DUI investigation. Using his extensive trial experience in Palm Beach County Courts and in DHSMV hearings, Officer Borrows will share the successes and mistakes he’s made along the way. Grammar tips, Florida Jury instructions and the importance of thorough documentation, and tips for each of the three phases of DUI investigations will be presented.

• The Evolution of SFSTs

  - Kyle Clark, National Manager of the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program, IACP

  Much has changed since the introduction of the "Improved Sobriety Test Battery" in 1984. During this presentation, Kyle Clark, will review the history of the changes and improvements made to the SFST program over the past 35 years. Background information will also be shared to enlighten the reasoning behind some of the changes that have served to enhance the accuracies of the three standardized field sobriety tests.

• Impaired Driving: Beyond Probable Cause

  - Detective John Cullen, Jacksonville (FL) Sheriff's Office

  Det. John Cullen will review the three phases of impaired driving investigations, review the legal standards relevant to law enforcement, and post arrest evidence. He’ll share best practices of a good arrest, and how to go beyond probable cause to close the gap with the legal burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. He’ll also share how to make the transition from DUI to ARIDE to DRE.

• Impairment Outside the Numbers

  - Brad Owens, GA Public Safety Training Center/Law Enforcement Operations/Police Academy Division

  Brad Owens will discuss the nearly infinite amount of impairment cues that can be found outside of SFSTs and other psychophysical testing in this session. In a world of evolving judicial attitudes toward traditional tests, he’ll explain why it’s important for officers to broaden their gaze when dealing with impaired subjects.

• Interview & Interrogation Techniques & Challenges in Impaired Driving

  - Detective John Cullen, Jacksonville (FL) Sheriff's Office

  Det. Cullen will discuss effective interview and interrogation techniques for furthering your traffic/impaired driving investigation. He’ll begin with a brief overview of the anatomy of a traffic stop – form preparation to conclusion. He’ll explain useful questioning techniques and challenges presented during roadside interviews, address stress of people, drivers, passengers and officers, and show you how it can be used to further your interview. Lastly, he’ll discuss rapport and the importance of building relationships during the encounter.

• Kratom Controversy

  - Officer Ashley Eller, Apopka (FL) Police Department

  This session is designed to acquaint officers and investigators to Kratom and the impact it has on the body as it relates to DUI investigations and arrests. Officer Eller will review the forms and methods of ingestion, its uses, as well as the major and general indicators that can be observed. Cases involving Kratom use and traffic crashes will be discussed.

• Law Enforcement Phlebotomy

  - Michael Blute, GA State DECP Coordinator

  The use of Law Enforcement Phlebotomy is on the rise, especially in conjunction with search warrants. In this session, Michael Blute will discuss the use of Law Enforcement Phlebotomists, and program implementation and coordination.

• Mellanby Effect, Homeostasis, and Retrograde Extrapolation

  - Tom Heller, Seattle (WA) Police Force Investigation Team

  In this session, Tom Heller, Seattle Police Force Investigation Team, will explain multiple scientific principles, including the Mellanby Effect, Homeostasis, Retrograde Extrapolation, and Widmark’s Equation. You will learn to articulate these factors in trial and explain how these scientific principles affect DUI cases and why leaving someone intoxicated behind the wheel is a dangerous idea.

• Mining for Gold: A Deeper Look Into the "Why" (DUI Version)

  - Michael Blute, GA State DECP Coordinator
  - Brad Owens, GA Public Safety Training Center/Law Enforcement Operations/Police Academy Division

  This highly interactive session takes a deeper look into why we do what we do. Michael Blute and Brad Owens will share some of the often-overlooked and under-explained sections in the 598-page DUI SFST manual, elaborate on the validation studies, and dissect several of the sessions. You will have an opportunity to share other strategies and defenses you have faced.

• Social Media and DUI Investigations

  - Corporal Frank Imparato, University of Central Florida Police Department

  As technology advances, officers and investigators must stay one step ahead. Cpl. Frank Imparato, University of Central Florida Police Dept., will explore today's top social media platforms and demonstrate how to use them to enhance your DUI investigations. You’ll also learn how to create viral social media campaigns to increase education in your community.

Florida Legal Updates

• Breath, Urine, and Blood Testing: Florida's Implied Consent Statute

  - TSRP Vin Petty, Florida TSRP Program

  This session will cover all aspects of the Florida Implied Consent Law and provide specific guidance to law enforcement officers and prosecutors as to when and how the Florida Implied Consent Law applies. Vin Petty will discuss in detail the procedures required for advising a suspect of Implied Consent, and the legal requirements for requesting a breath sample, a urine sample and a blood sample pursuant to Implied Consent. Additionally, he’ll address Florida's Implied Consent Law in light of recent United States Supreme Court Cases, specifically Mitchell v. Wisconsin and unconscious blood draws. Finally, this session will lay out the specific legal avenues available for blood draws in Florida in the wake of recent rulings by the United States Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court.

• Florida DUI Case Law Update

  - Ben Fox, Asst. Misdemeanor Division Chief, Training Attorney, Brevard County (FL) State Attorney's Office, 18th Circuit

  Ben Fox will give you a comprehensive update on the past two years of DUI case law in Florida and what you need to know as a law enforcement officer. He’ll explore Florida's appellate court decisions and how they impact the actions law enforcement can – and cannot – take in their DUI investigations. Topics include traffic stops, Miranda, accident (crash) report privilege, corpus delicti, legal medical blood draws, and the applicability of search warrants relating to such blood draws.

• Florida Legislative Update

  - Garett M. Berman, Esq., Executive Director, Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association

  Garett will discuss the new traffic laws passed during Florida’s recent legislative session and provide an update on the ones that did not pass.

• Issues with Body Worn Cameras, RFI and Alcohol Reference Solutions in Breath Testing

  - Garett M. Berman, Esq., Executive Director, Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association
  - Thomas “TJ” Graham, Program Manager, Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement Alcohol Testing Program

  This presentation will highlight recent arguments developed by the defense to challenge the admissibility of Intoxilyzer 8000 breath test results in criminal prosecutions the appropriate responses to such challenges. It will focus on the challenges concerning turning off body-worn cameras during the administration of the breath test, and procedures utilized by the FDLE Alcohol Testing Program in creating and testing the various alcohol reference solutions and water blanks for use in Department and Agency Inspections. We’ll highlight the appropriate responses to the challenges, best practices for agency BWC policies and required evidence needed to combat these challenges.

Leadership Development

• Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget: Managing the “Do More with Less” of DUI

  - Lieutenant Franklin F. Fitzgerald, Lakeland (FL) Police Department

  This collaborative session will allow you to discover and share force multiplier options for your agency’s impaired driving mission. Develop a better understanding of - and solutions for - today’s “do more with less” philosophy. You’ll discover ideas on in-house/in-service training and development for both new hires and existing members, and discuss information on developing reinforcement impaired driving training in the field training program. The session will also include ideas for report design and training aid development.

• Developing Leaders from the DUI/DRE Program

  - Teri Dioquino, Leadership & Management Training Coordinator, IPTM

  In this session, Teri will explain how participating in regular traffic safety initiatives can build impressive skillsets for leadership opportunities. She’ll share what makes traffic enforcement functions unique for specialized, management and leadership positions and the importance of informal and formal mentoring programs. You’ll learn tips for extending your comfort zone, building confidence, marketing yourself, and building an impressive CV for supervisory and leadership positions.

• Operation No Sale: Alcohol Vendor Enforcement and DUI Community Education Programs

  - Corporal Daniel Simpkins, Hillsborough County (FL) Sheriff's Office

  This session will provide an operational outline of alcohol compliance checks to ensure alcohol vendors are not selling to minors. Cpl. Simpkins will share information on recruiting and personnel used, underage investigative aides, and procedures in place to ensure the safety of the operation. He will also provide an overview of DUI Community Outreach and Education Programs, and the different ways to approach and present DUI outreach initiatives within the community.

• Staying in Our Lane: Developing Strategies for Legal and Constitutional Traffic Stops

  - Officer Cory Suttle, Lakeland (FL) Police Department

  Officer Suttle will discuss the legal and constitutional authority and constraints surrounding our profession. By studying the meaning behind some commonly encountered laws, procedures, case law, and philosophy, we gain a better understanding of the scope of our legal authority and can avoid costly mistakes. He’ll explain breakdowns of important appellate decisions, developing the right viewpoint of constitutional restrictions on police authority, and how to translate legal knowledge and experience in reports and testimony.