Police World Edition 2 2015

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Article
POLICE WORLD Vol 60 No. 2, 2015 13
Applicant
to Expert
Yvonne Taylor had no idea that her qualifying
as one of the first Drug Recognition Experts in
the UK would generate so much interest from the
media and her colleagues. In this article she describes
her journey, which began with an application for a
scholarship and led to her current role co-ordinating and
delivering Field Impairment Test training to officers in
North Yorkshire police.
The interest I now have in impaired driving
came about quite by accident. The seed
was planted in 2009 when I attended
a National Drug Influence Recognition and Field
Impairment Testing Instructors Course.
I was not scheduled to attend this training,
but went in place of a colleague who could not
attend. This five-day course was delivered by
two police officers from Hampshire who told us
about training they had undergone in the USA to
become Drug Recognition Experts (DRE). There
were (and still are) only a handful of UK police
officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts. I
was hooked (no pun intended!) and determined to
attend the same training.
In 2010, I applied for and, much to my surprise
and delight, was lucky enough to secure an Arthur
Troop Scholarship. I selected a DRE training
course in Sacramento, California, where myself
and my husband, Dave, had previously visited and
already made many friends.
In September 2011, I spent 3 weeks with the
California Highway Patrol (CHP). On my first day I
was horrified to see the number of books we were
provided with and began thinking I had made a
big mistake. The training consisted of 2 weeks
of classroom instruction
and exams, followed by
three night shifts working
with CHP and conducting
examinations on members of the public who
were believed to be under the influence of drugs.
CHP DRE instructor Travis Herbert kept us all
thoroughly entertained and educated for the
duration.
I left California fully qualified and returned home,
although I wasn’t prepared for the interest in my
training and the demands on my time from local
television and press.
Knowing I would be reluctant to step into the
limelight and stand in front of the cameras, on
my return from California, my supervisor invited
me to the Christmas Drink/Drug Drive campaign
launch at North Yorkshire police headquarters; he
chose not to tell me about the media waiting to
interview me. My fear of awkward questions soon
disappeared and I got into the swing of taking
interested observers on patrol, explaining what I
was doing and demonstrating Field Impairment
Tests.
I continue to co-ordinate and deliver Field
Impairment Test training to officers in North
Yorkshire police, increasing the number of
officers able to identify drivers who may be
under the influence of drugs.
Officers attempt the tests themselves whilst
wearing ‘beer goggles’ to give them an idea
of how impairment affects their performance
during simple tasks. I have also delivered many
presentations and training sessions to groups
such as Magistrates, driving instructors, road
safety groups and of course, at Gimborn.
Part of the requirement to keep my Drug
Recognition Expert qualification current, is to
recertify every two years. Sadly for me, that
doesn’t mean a trip across the pond every time,
as there are qualified officers in Hampshire who
can conduct the recertification training.
In March 2014, I travelled to Portsmouth, met
with colleagues there and, with the help of
volunteers from a local drug rehabilitation centre,
successfully completed my recertification training.
My interest in impaired driving has extended to
driver fatigue amongst shift workers and I am
presently working towards a PhD, on a part-time
basis, with the Institute for Transport Studies
at the University of Leeds. My colleagues are
willing volunteers for my studies (either that or
they just humour me!). I presently have them
wearing watches that measure their sleep, and
conducting vigilance and reaction time tasks at
the beginning and end of their shifts.
The IPA and the Arthur Troop Scholarship have
opened up wonderful opportunities for me that
I would not otherwise have experienced. I would
encourage anyone with an interest in further
training, that their own force may not be able to
fund, to apply for the scholarship – you
never know where it may take you.
Yvonne Taylor, Scarborough branch
Above: Travis Herbert with Yvonne Taylor
Left: A colleague tries out the goggles
Instructor Travis Herbert
To find out more about the
Arthur Troop Scholarship visit: