Bartholomew County deputies honored for drug recognition work

Two Bartholomew County deputies were recognized by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute for their years of service as certified drug recognition experts.

Sgt. Andrew Dougan and Deputy Ryan Smith were honored at a Friday ceremony with the Traffic Safety All-Star awards. According to the institute, only 1 percent of the officers in the state are certified as drug recognition experts. Officers must complete more than 100 hours of coursework and training before they can test for certification. They also must complete annual in-service training as well as evaluations to maintain the certification.

Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.