Pubdate: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 Source: Cayman Net News (Cayman Islands) Copyright: 2007 Cayman Net Ltd Contact: http://www.caymannetnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3700 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) POLICE LAUNCH ANTI-DRUGS PROGRAMME IN SCHOOLS The 2007 Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programme has kicked off in all primary schools across the Cayman Islands and it is hoped that, throughout the year, hundreds of children will benefit from the training. Neighbourhood Policing Officer, PC Rob Stewart is delivering his first DARE course on Cayman Brac after qualifying as an instructor at the National Air Guard Base in Minnesota. "I have been assisting with DARE for a while and have now begun teaching the course to a class of 16 children at Spot Bay School," he said, adding, "I really enjoy teaching the course and take great pride in knowing I am helping young people learn about the dangers of drugs and alcohol." PC Stewart has also asked the DARE Headquarters in the USA to recognise his newly formed Little Cayman class as the smallest group ever to be taught under the programme. "We have two pupils in the class on Little Cayman and I am pretty sure there has never been a class so small," he explained. The DARE programme is a ten week anti-drugs and violence presentation carried out by qualified police officers in all primary schools in the Cayman Islands. It aims to teach children, aged 10 -11 years old, about the risks of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and violence, and provides participants with the skills needed to avoid and deal with situations involving any of these dangers. The DARE curriculum is specially designed for police officers whose training and experience gives them the background needed to answer the often-sophisticated questions posed by young students about drugs and crime. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) DARE is universally viewed as an internationally recognised model of community policing. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin