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Drug Recognition Expert awards named for fallen Indiana officers

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — The Indiana Drug Recognition Expert Annual Awards Program will hit a little closer to home for two Hoosier families, as their loves ones now grace the names of two prestigious awards.

Several dozen Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) officers representing several Indiana law enforcement departments gathered Tuesday morning at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds for the annual banquet. DRE is a training achievement level that specially qualifies a law enforcement officer to detect the impairment of drivers whether for alcohol or drugs. According officials at the ceremony, there are about 186 DRE certified officers in the state of Indiana.

Rob Duckworth, coordinator for the DRE program through the Criminal Justice Institute, said the program has often awarded DRE Officer of the Year and DRE Instructor of the Year awards, but this year the awards will be granted under new names: The Officer David Moore DRE Officer of the Year Award and the Lt. Gary Dudley DRE Instructor of the Year Award.

“We wanted to symbolize the sacrifice that was made for him for his efforts,” said Duckworth, as he named the Officer Moore Award.

IMPD Officer David Spencer Moore was killed in the line of duty Jan. 26, 2011, when he was shot after pulling over a driver in a stolen vehicle. He was shot four times and died three days later. Moore served with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for 6-1/2 years and was assigned to the North District. His father, Spencer Moore, a retired police officer, delivered his son’s final roll call.

“Three, four times a week he could come into my office and ask almost the same question over and over: What can I do to get better at what I’m doing?” remembered Jim Cleek, commander of IMPD’s training division. “He just strived to grow and give as much as of himself as he could.”

Indiana State Police Lt. Gary Dudley was killed in a bicycle accident on Aug. 26, 2006. Dudley was representing his agency in a charity 1,058-mile bicycle ride when a vehicle crashed into a van following the bikers and ultimately colliding with them. Dudley died at the scene along with another law enforcement officer. He was a 26-year veteran of the state police.

Moore, Dudley, and Deputy Craig Allen Brann of the Newton County Sheriff’s Department were also honored with a reading of the final roll call and a presentation of bag pipe music by the Gordon Pipers. All three were killed in the line of duty and achieved DRE certification.