By
AMY FORLITI Associated Press , The Associated Press - MINNEAPOLIS
A
program designed to train police how to spot if someone is using drugs has been
suspended while authorities investigate claims that officers gave people
illegal drugs and incentives to participate, the Department of Public Safety
said Wednesday.
DPS
Commissioner Mona Dohman said a Hutchinson police officer is accused of giving
marijuana to a potential subject and is now under criminal investigation.
Dohman said another officer saw the incident and reported it. A separate
internal investigation also is under way to determine whether any policies were
violated.
"Training
law enforcement officers to detect drug impairment helps to keep our roads
safe, but we need to ensure that all participants follow guidelines and operate
within the law," Dohman said in a statement. She added the training
program is suspended pending the investigations and "until we revisit and
review the curriculum for the program."
Lt.
Col. Matt Langer, assistant chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, said later
Wednesday that a state trooper had been placed on paid administrative leave
pending the outcome of an investigation into his conduct during the training.
The
state patrol did not elaborate on the allegations against Trooper Nick Otterson
because of the ongoing investigation.
Just
days before the incident with the Hutchinson officer was reported, activists
and members of Occupy Minnesota posted a video online in which several people
said that police had either offered or given them illegal drugs.
The
drug evaluation and classification program trains officers on how to detect and
remove impaired drivers from the road. It started in Minnesota in 1991 and 197
officers from 92 agencies are currently certified as "drug recognition
evaluators," DPS said.
The
drug recognition training includes nine days of classroom work where officers
learn about drug categories and physiology. After the classroom training, the
officers perform 12 evaluations on people who are impaired by drugs. These
volunteer subjects are monitored and typically recruited from the community,
according to a news release from DPS.
A
week ago, members of the Occupy Minnesota movement and others claimed police
picked them up at various locations and offered them illegal drugs and
incentives to participate in the program. The subjects were dropped off at
Peavey Plaza, where Occupy protesters have been gathering.
Occupy
Minnesota member Osha Karow said he was happy to hear that an officer came
forward and reported the incident instead of trying to cover it up, but upset
that authorities initially denied activists' claims, despite what he called
"indisputable evidence" collected on video.
"We're
very excited that an officer decided to tell the truth and do the right
thing," Karow said. "Citizens have the power to make a change by
investigating something and making it public."
He
said members of the Occupy movement are calling for an independent investigation.
Authorities
did not release the name of the Hutchinson officer facing criminal
investigation. Hutchinson Police Chief Daniel Hatten had no comment because of
the ongoing case, but said the officer is still on the job until the review is
completed.
Forty-eight
states, the District of Columbia and Canada participate in the drug evaluation
and classification program. It started in Los Angeles in the 1970s when police
realized that people arrested for drunken driving weren't always under the
influence of alcohol. Authorities then came up with procedures to recognize
when people were impaired by other substances.
Had enough? Write to the Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and demand federal
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Misconduct.