Police use impaired subjects in course to recognize drunk drivers

Law enforcement officers from across the region got a lesson in sobriety testing from some impaired volunteers Wednesday afternoon.

The OPP and Thunder Bay Police Service are hosting a four-day Standardized Field Sobriety Testing course that ends this Friday.

Wednesday a group of community volunteers consumed varying amounts of alcohol while the training officers conducted field sobriety tests on the subjects to gain real life experience.

"It’s important for officers in the training phase to actually see someone impaired by alcohol," said TBPS Const. Lori Wright. "Then they can recognize the difference between persons who are sober and person who are under the influence of alcohol and help hone their skills."

In July 2008, Bill C-2 – the Tackling Violent Crimes Act – became law in Canada. It allows officers to conduct three sobriety tests, without taking a breathalyzer test, to detect and charge people with impaired driving.

The roadside tests have been done in the U.S. since the 1970s and are based on validated scientific studies, said Wright.

"We test their eyes and have them walk a straight line in a prescribed manner," she said. "We also have them lift their leg in a prescribed manner."

And with as much anti-drinking and driving education law enforcement and community organizations do, there are still people driving under the influence.

"So anything we can do to deter that is in our best interests," she said.

Local OPP officer Jason Disher said he’s experienced several instances where he’s had to call in an SFST officer to assist him. With the training he’s receiving this week, he’ll be able to conduct the tests himself.

"It speeds the process up and it gives us some tools in detecting some stuff we maybe never would have seen before," he said. "It just helps us with our observation and everything that goes along with an impaired driver."

The SFST training is definitely an asset to have, Disher added.

"I’ve seen it on the road before," he said. "What they’re teaching us and what we’re looking for is there and it certainly does work."

Disher was one of 32 officers currently taking the course. In addition to OPP and TBPS members, officers from the Dryden Police Service, Treaty Three Police Service, Lac Seul Police Service and Anishnabek Police Service also participated.