Georgetown Police Officer Anna Nix was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Texas this week with the organization’s Outstanding Service Award during a ceremony in San Marcos.
According to the Georgetown Police Department, Nix received the award based on a combination of DWI arrests, standardized field sobriety test instruction and her work as a Drug Recognition Expert, or DRE. The department said she also received a MADD Hero Award last year.
Drug Recognition Experts are specially trained officers who evaluate drivers suspected of impairment from drugs other than alcohol. Their testimony and evaluations are frequently used in impaired-driving investigations and prosecutions across Texas and the United States.
While MADD and law enforcement agencies often highlight DREs and aggressive DWI enforcement as important public safety tools, the field has also faced scrutiny from defense attorneys, civil-liberties advocates and investigative journalists. In recent years, reporting around the country has examined cases in which drivers were arrested based largely on officer observations, only for toxicology tests to later show no impairing substances or for charges to be reduced or dismissed.
Critics have argued that some impairment determinations can be subjective and difficult to independently verify, particularly in cases involving fatigue, medical conditions, anxiety, prescription medications or other factors that may mimic signs of impairment. Supporters of the program maintain that DRE training provides officers with a structured method for identifying potentially impaired drivers and removing dangerous motorists from the road.
There is no indication that Nix has engaged in misconduct, and the Georgetown Police Department’s announcement focused on her recognition for impaired-driving enforcement and training efforts.
The award comes as law enforcement agencies across Texas continue emphasizing DWI enforcement amid ongoing efforts by MADD to reduce impaired-driving deaths and injuries.
“Well done, Officer Nix,” the Georgetown Police Department wrote in its announcement of the award.
Williamson Reporter 