Federal funding would be welcomed in Potsdam and Massena as drug problem grows

MASSENA — A pair of United States senators have proposed that federal funding be directed toward the development of Breathalyzer-like tests and training techniques to help police officers identify drug-impaired drivers, an idea local chiefs say they are on board with.

On Sunday Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Mark L. Pryor, D-Ark., announced they will push for money in a pending transportation bill be used for research on developing technologies that can help officers identify drugged drivers during traffic stops. The bill would also provide funds for states to help increase training of officers to spot the signs of drugged drivers.

The issue is especially relevant in Massena as police fight what they call a growing drug abuse problem.

“We know that we’re dealing with a significant prescription drug misuse problem in our community,” Police Chief Timmy J. Currier said. “So any tool that enhances our ability to combat the problem is welcomed.”

According to Mr. Schumer, drugged driving arrests have risen 35 percent in New York state since 2001. In the north country and Capital Region, police made 48 drugged driving arrests in 2011, up from 199 in 2001, the senator reports.

But those numbers are just a fraction of the cases in which drivers get behind the wheel while intoxicated on drugs.

Mr. Schumer and his democratic colleagues point to a 2009 federal study which found that 10.5 million Americans acknowledged that they had driven under the influence of drugs.

Tests of thousands of drivers who died in car crashes that same year found they were under the influence, he said.

Unlike alcohol, there are no proven roadside testing methods available to police officers. Short of an admission or a blood test, there isn’t much an officer can do to prove an individual was driving while under the influence of drugs, Mr. Currier said.

Charging someone with drugged driving is “very infrequent,” the chief said, suggesting that people are getting away with impaired driving because of a lack of available testing options.

Both Mr. Currier and Potsdam Police Chief Edward J. Tischler said they have seen a spike in drug abuse cases throughout their careers. And with prescription pills running up to $80 or $100 on the streets, the abuse is leading to a spike in other crimes like burglary or larceny, they said.

“We believe it is driving a good amount of the crime here in Massena,” Mr. Currier said.

Curbing drugged driving would be a good first step in helping attack the problem, according to the two chiefs. In Potsdam, Patrol Officer Clint Perrigo is a Drug Recognition Expert, an officer trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than alcohol.

But becoming a certified DRE requires extensive training, Mr. Tischler said. Equipping all officers with the ability to recognize or test drugged drivers would be a big boost to the department, he said.

“With the issues we are having now a days with the abuse of prescription drugs continuing to get worse, any training would be a benefit,” Mr. Tischler said.