OFFICERS GET COURSE ON DETECTING DRUNKENNESS

The difference between falling-down drunk and having a couple of beers might be two opposite stages of coherence to some people who drink alcohol.

But the men and women who patrol the streets are trained that a driver who has had just a couple of drinks might be just as dangerous behind the wheel as one who is obviously drunk.

Officers from the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and Cape Girardeau Police Department were learning Tuesday how to detect a driver who has had too much to drink.

"Sometimes it's pretty obvious when someone's drunk," said the training coordinator, Lt. Randy Roddy of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. "We want them to be able to tell when they're right on the border."

Drivers are legally intoxicated in Missouri when their blood-alcohol content reaches .10 percent. Many times drivers at the .10 percent BAC level don't exhibit obvious signs of intoxication, but their driving skills are inhibited.

Roddy said the officers, some new to their departments and others needing a refresher course, were being trained to identify the subtle effects of alcohol on someone who has had just a couple of drinks.

Four officers from the sheriff's department and three from the police department were studying the eyes, agility and comprehension of two volunteers who consumed alcohol throughout the day Tuesday. The volunteers then submitted to the officers' field sobriety tests.

"The officers aren't aware of how much they've had to drink," Roddy said.

After each of the tests, the officers reported on the volunteers' conditions and estimated their levels of intoxication.

The volunteers then submitted to Breathalyzers to confirm their intoxication and compare the readings with the officers' estimates.