Deputy Nate Jones and KHP Lieutenant Matt Payne

Cherokee County Deputy Sheriff Nate Jones became a certified Drug Recognition Expert after successfully completing the requirements earlier this week at the Kansas Highway Patrol’s training academy in Salina.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, the Drug Recognition Expert Program is a nationally accredited training which targets the ever-growing problem of drug impaired driving.

“The DRE Program requires intense training where law enforcement officers must demonstrate a level of knowledge and proficiency in drug evaluations of suspected impaired drivers, much higher than that of standard field-sobriety testing,” according to Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves. 

“Because of the strict requirements involved, which include pre-requisite certifications in Standard Field Sobriety Testing and Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (A.R.I.D.E.), it’s rare to have law enforcement officers outside of the Kansas Highway Patrol or larger metro agencies become certified. I’m proud of Deputy Jones’ hard work and commitment, allowing us to have that level of expertise within our agency, ultimately helping to keep families safe as they travel our local roadways,” concluded Sheriff Groves.