Cops get drunk to train other cops

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Local law enforcement officers were saying cheers and chugging down cold ones on Tuesday morning.  It was all part of a week long training session at the Dayton Police Academy.

Several police officers and deputy sheriffs volunteered to drink, so their colleagues could practice conducting field sobriety tests.  Officials called it a serious lesson in learning how to deal with drunks, out on the road.  Volunteer drinkers started dosing themselves with alcohol at about 10 a.m.

"We're looking for red, glassy eyes, slurred speech, being uncoordinated," said Dayton Police Officer Will Wright.

Officers and deputies conducted several sobriety field sobriety tests on the intoxicated subjects.  One of them was the horizontal gaze test where they move a pen around and asked the subjects to follow the tip of the pen.  Officials said this horizontal gaze test was 77 percent accurate when done correctly.

Officers also had to walk heel-to-toe down a line, then hold up one leg to show their balance.

Dayton Police Officer Danielle Cash failed all of the tests performed on her by her colleague, Officer Jennifer Godsey.

"I would definitely arrest her for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs and or alcohol," Godsey said.

Wright said he hoped officers would gain a better understanding of how to deal with impaired drivers through the exercises and also hopes the training will results in more wins once the cases go to court.

After about five drinks the lesson was a sobering one for officer Cash. Her blood alcohol level measured .11, much higher than the legal limit of .08.

"It's very illegal," said Cash.

The training was being conducted by Montgomery County's OVI Task Force.