CRANBERRY TWP — More than 1,300 people are arrested every year in Butler County for driving under the influence of alcohol, a number that officials want to reduce.

Part of that effort includes training police officers how to better spot intoxicated drivers and how to get them off the road quickly.

More than 30 police officers from the region gathered Monday at the Cranberry Township Public Safety Building for a seminar to do just that.

Speakers included State Police Trooper Craig Johnson of the Butler barracks and Trooper Dan Acklin of the Pittsburgh barracks.

The speakers talked about the methods to help officers determine if someone is driving under the influence.

The most accurate test, according to Johnson, is the horizontal gaze nystagmus, an eye test. It involves an officer holding a pen and telling the suspect to follow it with his eyes.

That test can’t be manipulated by the suspect because it involves involuntary eye movement, while other tests like the stand-on-one-leg test and the walk-a-straight-line test could be practiced and manipulated by repeat offenders.

The eye test is 77 percent accurate, according to Acklin. “We could bring an impaired gymnast in here who could walk a (straight) line better than I can right now sober,” Acklin said. “But she won’t pass the eye test.”

Both troopers led demonstrations showing the officers how to properly administer each test.

The walk-and-turn test is 68 percent accurate in identifying impaired drivers, while the one-leg stand is 65 percent accurate, according to the troopers.

“But the truth is in the eyes,” Acklin said.

Cranberry police Chief Kevin Meyer said he was pleased to welcome so many officers from around the region. It’s important for all of law enforcement to work together in regards to procedures, he said.

“This is a great opportunity for all officers to get on the same page in regards to driving under the influence,” Meyer said. “We’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time and we finally have the facility to do it.”

The seminar continues today and Wednesday.