Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 July 2001 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, JULY 27,2001

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Lt. Dale True (right), with another Instructor lectures IPD officers in the DWI training workshop. DWI task force trains IPD officers to look for drunken offenders

By RYAN MARSHALL Staff Writer By now everyone knows that the state of Indiana has enforced the reduction of the legal drinking limit to .08, but there is a training program that helps officers look for offenders to take off the streets to prevent disaster. At the Indianapolis Police Department Training Academy, officers, through the Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) are required to take a three-day course learning different tactics on spotting and dealing with a DWI offender. “The course is a three-day course designed to increase the officers awareness and ability to investigate and locate drunk drivers; person who are under the influence (of alcohol),” says Lt. Dale True, one of the instructors for the course. The course, sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is a standardized class, taken by all officers, not just in Indiana, but in other states as well. The things that are learned in the course are how to look for certain clues in the ways that people drive, and following necessary procedures, among other things. “Once they (the officers) have the person stopped, if they suspect the person is driving while intoxicated, we’ll teach them to look for other ways for investigating the crime. (They’ll learn to) document the information, gather the evidence, make sure that they're following the law properly, so that they’re following the people’s rights and they’re not investigating anything improperly,” said Lt. True. “I don’t know if we track arrests by ethnicity, but DWI is not locked into a certain social-eco-nomical area. It’s something that’s widespread in every community, because society accepts the idea of drinking and driving.” For anyone who comes across a driver that might be suspect on the road, here are a few signs to indicated if that driver is intoxicated; speeding; people disobeying other

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER USPS 262-660 Published weekly by: The George P. Stewart Printing Co., Inc., P.O. Box 18499, 2901 N. Tacoma Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46218. Entered as Second Class Matter under Act of March 7,1870. Periodicals paid at Indianapolis. IN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The IndlunapoHe Recorder, P.O Box 18499, 2901 N. Tacoma Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46218. Subscription price by mail or carrier: $39 per year: $29 for 6 mos.,75 cents per copy National advertising representative: Amalgamated Publishers Inc., 45 W. 45th St, New York, NY 10036. The National Newspaper Publishers Association, Central Indiana Publishers Association, Hoosier State Press Association SUBSCRIBERS BY MAIL: We are not responsible for replacing issues missed due to change of address or late renewals Please allow two weeks when placing a new subscription or change of addreas order Call (317) 924-5143.

traffic laws such as weaving in and out of their lanes, cutting other traffic off; disregarding stop signs; going the wrong way on a one-way street; or driving without headlights. True said these are just normal infractions, but when you start adding them together, they’re also very closely tied to people who could be involved with DWI. Between 300-450 officers are trained in the workshop. In addition to those things mentioned, the officers will practice on each other, using the NHTSA guidelines. They also practice on real-life drinkers so that they can see the characteristics possessed in those with significant blood alcohol level. “I think the most important thing is that it’s been proven that lowering the blood alcohol content (BAC) law from .10 to .08 will have a direct effect, on lowering accidents involving DWI, (the number of) offenders, and will lower the death rate in Indiana,” says Officer Cory Schaffer, another training instructor and patrolman of the DWI task force. “You can tell them what they’re gonna see, but to actually see someone who’s intoxicated (is advantageous). So we’ll bring in one person to the gym here and they’ll actually do the real test under all kinds of conditions. We’ll turn the lights out and they can use their flashlights, or go outside and turn on the (overhead) flashing lights,” Schaffer said. Lowering the legal drinking limit to .08 was beneficial for the state of Indiana, in a number of ways. It will change people’s behaviors and attitudes about drinking, and raises the level of awareness in the drivers. It also allows Indiana to receive more federal funding, through a DUI grant, to enforce the new tougher laws; and will allow officers to stay out later to catch DWI offenders through a new overtime grant that was given by the Marion County Traffic Safety Partnership. “That’s what’s giving law enforcement officers the opportunity to focus on DUI and traffic enforcement and not being tied down

1999 drunk driving stats There were 1,013 total fatalities in Indiana; and 15,786 nationally reported alcohol-related fatalities, 38 percent of all traffic fatalities (30 percent reduction from 1989 of 22,404) ‘Information courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2000 drunk driving stats There were 334 drunk driving fatalities in Indiana, 34 percent of all total crashes and 40,000 arrests in Indiana. ‘Information courtesy of the Indiana Police Department

by answering crther 911 calls and other things,” said Sgt. Roger Tuchek, IPD North District Supervisor. “What we’ve noticed so far is that the BAC level test we give to drivers is significantly less than ever before.” There are nine counties in Indiana —Lake, Porter, Steuben, Allen, Marion, Grant, Vigo, Hamilton, and Tippecanoe — that are participating in a drunk driving task force because previous task forces were already set up in those counties. More counties will be added in October. Although the number of drunk driving accidents and fatalities are down overthe last 11 years, Indiana wants to do its part in becoming a tougher state on drivers that break the law. “I consider DWI, the number one preventable violent crime in America, but sometime, the prevention comes down to the person who is the offender,” said Officer Schaffer. “Even a $50 cab ride is cheaper than a DWI defense attorney, or cheaper then killing someone else, someone in your own family or yourself.”

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An open house will be held for Edna Martin’s Outreach Center Aug. 25, and staff members have already started packing for their new home at Genesis Plaza. “When (people) come to Genesis Plaza, it’s very convenient,” said Shirley Castille, access counselor for the Edna Martin Outreach Center. “I can even walk them to the next office (for additional services). We don’t have anything like it in this community.” She refers to the new facility as an attempt to revitalize MartindaleBrightwood and further assist residents. By having diverse resources

under one roof, says Castille, resi dents are within walking distant to services. When seeking help, people an treated with respect and given ap propriate resources to address theii needs, she added. In the last month, the Edm Martin Center has served 52 fami lies, which represents 155 indi viduals. “We don’t turn anyone awaj for food,” said Castille, who an ticipates to serve more people ai the new location. “It makes us unique that we don’t look for the boundaries (as other agencies). Nc one leaves here without gettinc food.”

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