Pubdate: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 Source: Oklahoman, The (OK) Copyright: 2005 The Oklahoma Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.oklahoman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318 Author: Ann Weaver, The Oklahoman Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) POLICE OFFICER BRINGS DARE TO SCHOOLS IN TECUMSEH TECUMSEH - Police officer Dee Seifried is bringing DARE, a nationally renowned drug awareness program, back into the schools. It's been more than a decade since Tecumseh students have had the opportunity to take part in the drug education program that reinforces positive peer pressure to stay away from all drugs, including the two most common, alcohol and nicotine. Seifried graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education training academy earlier this month in Oklahoma City and has been busy preparing her program for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Her first appearance as a DARE officer was Friday at the opening of the city's new skate park, where she passed out DARE stickers to children. "The problems in this community stem from kids having nothing to do," Seifried said. "It's when they're bored that they get together and make bad choices." Positive choices is what DARE is all about, she said. Seifried said the department is allowing her to move from her patrol duties to be a full-time DARE instructor. She will be relying on the community for donations to help buy the workbooks, pencils, prizes and other incentives for the program. Seifried has been a Tecumseh police officer for about three years. Before that she worked for Dogs Against Drugs, a private company that supplied drug interdiction dogs in seven counties. The dogs were taken into schools to demonstrate their abilities as part of the company's drug education program for children. Seifried said DARE will become an important component to the police department's community policing duties by helping children know that officers are there to help them. "DARE is just another way of opening up to them," Seifried said. "Some kids are afraid of us because they think we're only around to cuff and arrest them." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake