Queen Creek police train schools to spot drug abuse

With the new school year just weeks away, the Queen Creek Police Department is continuing its work to train teachers and school staff in spotting signs of possible drug impairment in students.

This work is accomplished through the Drug Impairment Training for Education Professionals program being implemented in the Queen Creek Unified School District through a partnership with QCPD and the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

“(The program) helps educators recognize possible signs of drug impairment and distinguish them from potential medical issues,” according to a QCPD statement. “This training equips school staff to respond appropriately and support student well-being.”

The program teaches a systematic approach for recognizing and evaluating students in school who may be abusing and impaired by legal and illegal drugs. The program also provides intervention tools.

“Consequently, not only will the disruption caused by those abusing drugs be decreased, but the incidence of those individuals driving to and from schools while impaired by either alcohol or drugs will also be greatly reduced,” according to the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety’s website.

In 2023, QCPD reported that it made nearly 200 DUI-related arrests and saw a “significant impact on our young adult community.”

“The more than 30 schools in our jurisdiction continue to face challenges related to underage drinking and THC vaping. In 2023, QCPD reported a 63% increase in DUI drug arrests and doubled DUI arrests for individuals under 21. Many of these cases involved morning commuters,” a council staff report stated last year.

In October, the Queen Creek Town Council accepted two grants from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety totaling $90,000. The grants are for QCPD personnel and overtime costs related to impaired driving enforcement strategies, including efforts to reduce alcohol and drug-related collisions.

Among the goals related to the grants is providing Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals courses for schools in Queen Creek.

“This nationally recognized program gives our educators, nurses and school resource officers the tools to identify signs of drug impairment and take the right steps to keep students safe,” Queen Creek Unified School District Governing Board President Samantha Davis said. “It’s another example of our shared commitment to student well-being, early intervention and maintaining a secure learning environment across all campuses.”

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