BRYCE D. SPAFFORD IS A SENIOR LEAD OFFICER IN THE CENTRAL PATROL DIVISION OF THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT. HE CURRENTLY IS THE SENIOR LEAD OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE SPRING STREET FOOTBEATS AND AREA 1A35 IN THE DOWNTOWN HISTORIC CORE. OFFICER SPAFFORD HAS BEEN A LAPD OFFICER SINCE 1981. PRIOR TO JOINING THE LAPD, OFFICER SPAFFORD WAS A RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST (X-RAY TECHNICIAN) AT KAISER HOSPITAL FOR 9 YEARS. HE WAS ALSO A MEDICAL CORPSMAN AND X-RAY TECHNICIAN IN THE U.S. ARMY FROM 1969 TO 1971.
OFFICER SPAFFORD HAS BEEN ASSIGNED TO CENTRAL DIVISION SINCE HIS PROMOTION TO SENIOR OFFICER IN 1984. THE DOWNTOWN "SKID ROW" AREA IS A CHRONIC DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE LOCATION. DURING HIS DAILY FOOTBEAT ROUNDS, HE HAS SPOKEN WITH THOUSANDS OF DRUG ADDICTS, GAINING AN INSIGHT INTO THE SYMPTOMS OF DRUG INFLUENCE, AS WELL AS HOW DRUGS ARE PACKAGED AND USED. OFFICER SPAFFORD HAS PARTICIPATED IN OVER 4000 NARCOTIC ARRESTS SINCE LEAVING THE POLICE ACADEMY IN 1981. HE HAS PERFORMED OR SUPERVISED OVER 150 DRUG INFLUENCE EVALUATIONS SINCE 1994.
ALTHOUGH FIRST CERTIFIED AS AN LAPD EXPERT IN HEROIN AND PCP INFLUENCE IN 1983, OFFICER SPAFFORD HAS TESTIFIED IN MUNICIPAL AND SUPERIOR COURTS AS A NARCOTICS EXPERT CONTINUOUSLY SINCE 1982. THIS EXPERT TESTIMONY INCLUDED THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF INFLUENCE OF THE FOLLOWING DRUGS: ALCOHOL, PCP, HEROIN, COCAINE, METHADONE, CANNABIS, CODEINE, AMPHETAMINE, BENZODIAZEPINES, AND INHALANTS. HE ALSO HAS GIVEN EXPERT TESTIMONY OVER TWO HUNDRED TIMES FOR SALES, POSSESSION FOR SALE, PACKAGING, USE, ETC. OF COCAINE, COCAINE BASE, HEROIN, METHADONE, MARIJUANA, PCP, CODEINE, CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANTS, AND INHALANTS.
DURING OFFICER SPAFFORD'S 12 YEARS OF HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE, HE OBSERVED OR ASSISTED IN THE MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HUNDREDS OF PERSONS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, PCP, LSD, AND OTHER CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL. HE RECEIVED FORMAL AND INFORMAL TRAINING FROM PHYSICIANS, PARAMEDICS, AND NURSES REGARDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF DRUG INFLUENCE.
OFFICER SPAFFORD IS CERTIFIED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE AS A DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERT INSTRUCTOR. HE HAS INSTRUCTED OVER 250 DRE STUDENTS, DRE INSTRUCTORS, AND CERTIFIED DRES IN BOTH THE FORMAL CLASSROOM SETTING AND DURING THE FIELD CERTIFICATION PHASE. THESE EXPERTS CAME FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS BRITISH COLUMBIA. HE HAS ALSO TRAINED OVER 500 POLICE OFFICERS IN BASIC 11550H&S (UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE) IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES. SPAFFORD IS ALSO A DEPARTMENT-CERTIFIED TACTICAL COMMUNICATIONS INSTRUCTOR, A DEPARTMENT-CERTIFIED SELF-DEFENSE AND USE OF FORCE INSTRUCTOR, AND A FIELD TRAINING OFFICER.
OFFICER SPAFFORD HAS WRITTEN TRAINING MATERIALS ON NUMEROUS SUBJECTS INCLUDING FLUNITRAZEPAM, ZOLPIDEM, RISPERIDONE, COCAINE, HEROIN, PCP, HALLUCINOGENS, GHB, CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM STIMULANTS, AND "PHEN FEN". THESE MATERIALS ARE CURRENTLY USED IN THE TRAINING OF STUDENT DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERTS AND 11550H&S EXPERTS. HE ALSO GAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF FLUNITRAZEPAM (ROHYPNOL) INFLUENCE AT THE FIRST SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ROHYPNOL TRAINING CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER, 1996.
You can contact Officer Spafford through his e-mail.
LAPD DRE Unit Home Page
Sitemap
This page was updated 2-21-98
Copyright © 1998 LAPD
