As New Year celebrations approach across south King County, the Des Moines Police Department is highlighting the work of one of its officers who recently earned a specialized certification aimed at keeping impaired drivers off the road.
Police this week announced that Officer English is now a certified Drug Recognition Expert, a designation earned after months of advanced training focused on identifying drug impaired driving.
According to the department, English first became interested in DUI enforcement after completing Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement training in 2024. He was later selected to attend Drug Recognition Expert school in the fall of 2025.
The program included two weeks of classroom instruction followed by a week of field certification. During training, candidates were required to accurately determine which categories of drugs volunteer participants were impaired by, using a standardized 12 step evaluation process for each assessment.
The Drug Recognition Expert program is internationally recognized and is known for its accuracy in identifying drug impairment, according to police.
Department officials said the certification strengthens local DUI enforcement efforts during periods of increased traffic and celebrations, including the New Year holiday.
“Let’s all ring in 2026 on a positive note,” police said in a statement. “Here’s to only encountering Officer English to share our congratulations and thanks!”
