          |
FISCAL YEAR 2005/2006 TRAINING SCHEDULE Standardized Field Sobriety Testing
Instructor teams are comprised of officers from the Michigan State Police, Department of Natural Resources, County Sheriff Departments and Municpal Police Departments.
MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT OPINION
People v. David William Schaefer & People v. James Richard Large
"Carboxy THC is not a Schedule 1 Controlled substance.It is a metabolite or byproduct of metabolism created in the body during the body's physiological process of converting marijuana into a water-soluble form that can be excreted more easily. Its presence in the blood conclusively proves that a person ingested THC at some point in time. However, carboxy THC itself has no pharmacological effect on the body and its level in the blood correlates poorly, if at all to an individual's level of THC-related impairment. In fact, carboxy THC could remain in the blood long after all THC was gone, as THC quickly leaves the blood and enters the body tissues."
"The presence of carboxy THC in the blood indicates marijuana use within the last twenty-four hours and its presence in the urine indicates use within the last week."
2006 SFST NHTSA/IACP APPROVED CURRICULUM REVISIONS & UPDATES
Standardized Field Sobriety Tests ARE NOT at all flexible. They must be administered each time, exactly as outlined in the course.
An involuntary jerking of the eyes (up and down) which occurs when the eyes gaze upward at maximum elevation.
Administrative Procedures
NOTE
In the Walk and Turn (WAT) and/or the One Leg Stand (OLS), should the subject be unable to complete either test; RECORD ONLY THE OBSERVED CLUES and document the reason they could not complete the test.
WHY EFFECTIVE SOBRIETY ASSESSMENT SKILLS ARE SO CRITICAL
Research has shown that many of the people law enforcement has contact with often have ingested medications in one form or another (prescribed or unprescribed or-the-counter) that enhance the effects of an alcoholic beverage upon the consumer.
Research has also shown that many are afflicted with a psychological condition that makes them predisposed to substance abuse and/or violence. Some are diagnosed conditions, some have not been diagnosed. For those who have been diagnosed, the medications taken may enhance the impairment one sees or it might mask it.
Persons prone to substance abuse as well as those who employ violence as a problem solving mechanism (i.e: Domestic Violence) require psycho-social screening to identify the condition and the appropriate pharmaceutical therapy so the therapist can develop a treatment plan that will hopefully diminish these behaviors and reduce its impact to those we are sworn to protect.
The only way we as law enforcement officers can break the cycle or violence or substance abuse is through psycho-social care. Recommend psycho-social screening to the courts!
The pre-arrest field interview is an excellent time to obtain information about the person you are about to screen; information concerning medical and psychological afflictions as well as any medications whether prescribed or not or over-the-counter since many enhance the affect an alcoholic beverage has upon the body. It alerts you to some of the physiological conditions you might expect to see if the person has been honest with you.
As you transition to assess the person's sobriety, keep these things in mind and use this information to either refute or corroborate the person's statements.
The DIAGNOSTIC and STATISTICAL MANUAL of MENTAL DISORDERS (DSM-IV-TR) offers a criteria an officer can use to base an opinion to this question, so long as the markers of intoxication are present.
Alcohol Intoxication
A. Recent ingestion of alcohol.
B. Clinically significant maladaptive behavioral or psychological changes (e.g. inappropriate sexual or aggressive behavior, mood lability, impaired judgment, impaired social or occupational functioning) that developed during, or shortly after, alcohol ingestion.
C. One of more of the following signs, developing during or shortly after, alcohol use:
1. slurred speech
D. The symptoms are not due to a general medical condition and are not better accounted for by another mental disorder.
Cannabis Intoxication
A. Recent use of cannabis.
B. Clincally significant maladaptive behavioral or psychological changes (e.g. impaired motor coordination, euphoria, anxiety, sensation of slowed time, impaired judgment, social withdrawal) that developed during, or shortly after, canabis use.
C. Two or more of the following signs, developing within 2 hours of cannabis use:
1. conjunctival injection
2. increased appetite
3. dry mouth
4. tachycardia
D. The symptoms are not due to a general medical condition and are not better accounted for by another mental disorder.
Specify if:
With perceptual disturbances
Opiod Intoxication
A. Recent use of an opiod.
B. Clincally significant maladaptive behavioral or psychological changes (e.g., initial euphoria followed by apathy, dysphora, psychomotor agitation or retardation, impaired judgment, or impaired social or occupational functioning) that developed during, or shortly afer, opiod use.
C. Pupilary constriction (papillary dilation due to anoxia from severe overdose) and one or more of the following signs, developing during or shortly after opiod use:
1. drowsiness or coma
D. The symptoms are not due to a general medical condition and are not better accounted for by another mental disorder.
Specify if:
With perceptual disturbances
Amphetamine Intoxication
A. Recent use of amphetamine or a related substance (e.g., methylphenidate).
B. Clincally significant maladaptive behavioral or psychological changes (e.g., euphoria or affective blurting, changes in sociability, hypervigilence, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, tension or anger, stereotyped behaviors, impaired judgment or impaired social or occupational functioning) that developed during, or shortly after, use of amphetamine or a related substance.
C. Two or more of the following, developing during or shortly after use of amphetamine or a related substance:
1. tachycardia or bradycardia
D. The symptoms are not due to a general medical condition and are not better accounted for by another mental disorder.
Specify if:
In June of 1990, the United States Coast Guard published a report of an experimental study that was conducted to evaluate field sobriety testing in the marine environment. Report DOT-CG-D-04-90 concluded that the accuracy of the field sobriety test battery are not degraded in the marine environment. When screening intoxicated boaters, the Coast Guard breaks the assessment process into two categories: the afloat test battery and the ashore test battery. The SFST tests are conducted ashore after a wait of 15 minutes.
WHAT OTHER OFFICERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THEIR SFST TRAINING EXPERIENCE
WHAT PRE-SERVICE RECRUITS SAY ABOUT SFST TRAINING IN THE RECRUIT ACADEMY
Some of the following courses have been funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation through Michigan's Office of Highway Safety Planning
Standardized Field Sobriety Testing
DataMaster
On September 30, 2003, Michigan adopted the .08 standard for intoxication. For further information about the new law, please consult with your prosecutor or municipal attorney.
The current datamaster manual in use is dated February 2001.
Contact Sgt. Perry Curtis at curtispd@michigan.gov for information concerning DataMaster training for 2005.
Crash Reconstruction Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor Development
Interested applicants must submit their letters of interest to the Michigan State Police Alcohol Enforcement Unit 714 S. Harrison East Lansing, Michigan 48823 for consideration. CREDENTIALS REQUIRED Alcohol Enforcement Training for Prosecutors © MISTORM
|
