On Tuesday the Perry Kiwanis Club welcomed Perry Police Department Officer Matt Aswegan to their weekly luncheon meeting at the Hotel Pattee in Perry.
Aswegan is a patrol officer and drug recognition expert (DRE) for the Perry Public Safety Department. He works primarily on the night shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. He discussed the training required to be a DRE and the criteria he uses to determine if a person is under the influence of drugs.
Aswegan does not have a desk job. At 4 a.m. Wednesday, for example, he engaged in a hot pursuit on foot near the Progressive Foundry in Perry, ultimately arresting and detaining a man later charged with third-offense possession of methamphetamine.
Hosting the Perry peace officer at the meeting by Perry Kiwanis Secretary Doug Wood and welcomed by the membership. Wood has been a member of the Perry Kiwanis since December 1997.