From Feb. 16-19, instructors certified in DUI Enforcement from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy led an initial certification training at the Isle of Palms Police Department that was attended by six officers from around the state. Sgt. Matthew R. Storen, who oversees the Criminal Investigations Division as public information officer for the Isle of Palms Police Department, said the three-day class equipped officers to administer the Standardized Field Sobriety Test for impaired driving.
Part of the course focused on standardized field sobriety testing, during which officers studied in “wet labs,” a controlled environment where they observed the range of behavior of volunteers who were sober, just at the limit of intoxication or well over the blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08%.
Throughout this exercise, officers conducted a battery of tests, one of which is the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, which fieldsobrietytests.org describes as a “medical term used to describe the involuntary jerking of the eyeballs. When someone is intoxicated by alcohol and/or certain drugs, this jerking becomes more pronounced.” Law enforcement agents use the HGN to evaluate an individual’s nystagmus in order to determine if probable cause exists for an impaired-driving arrest.
Storen explained that the reason for this test is so that officers will know the difference between an individual who is driving under the influence of alcohol, depressants or inhalants or someone who may have a medical issue such as an inner ear disorder, which can also cause nystagmus.
Officers in training also learned another component of the testing process, known as the “walk and turn,” when a driver must stand on one leg while alternating between balancing and hopping.
Additionally, trainees were educated on how to arrest drivers who are under the influence and to administer a breath sample. Storen said that failure to comply results in an automatic six-month suspension of the driver’s license, a DUI charge and additional hoops such as court costs, fines, an increase in or cancellation of insurance, lawyer fees and administrative charges with the DMV to get the license back.
With this being spring break season, he reminded drivers to “Never get behind the wheel of a vehicle or golf cart if you’re under the influence. Everyone needs to have a safe alternative plan such as a designated driver, a ride share, cab, Uber or Lyft. Sometimes even roadside assistance will pick you and your car up.”
Despite this multitude of options, DUI numbers are on the rise on the island, due in part to an increase in population, according to Storen. He said that in 2023, police arrested 107 individuals on the Isle of Palms for driving under the influence. In 2024, there were 126 arrests and as of November 2025, there were 74 with holiday figures yet to be factored in. As such, the department has increased their staff and the newly certified officers are patrolling the streets, keeping the roads safe by looking for impaired drivers.
By Sarah Rose
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