Pubdate: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers Contact: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/includes/email_forms/letters_to_editor.php Website: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) DARE A VICTIM OF VIOLENCE Serious crimes like murder and robberies have slain an anti-drug program in schools. Kelowna RCMP have scrubbed the DARE program so more officers can work on serious cases and general duty. Calls for service may be down, said Supt. Bill McKinnon, but police are dealing with more serious crimes like sexual assault, child pornography, pin-pad fraud and break-ins. "I've gone to city hall asking for a large number (of new officers) this year," he said. "It's to deal with an overburdened workload." The RCMP's homicide squad has investigated two murders and two suspicious deaths in recent weeks. Two officers and three municipal employees have dedicated the last 18 months to the Jennifer Cusworth murder, said McKinnon. More complex cases are emerging in a growing community. The co-ordinator who runs DARE and the 10 officers who teach it in Kelowna schools will concentrate on policing when the program ends Jan. 1. West Kelowna and Lake Country schools will continue with the program, but police plan to reassess it in the spring, McKinnon said. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program has operated in the Central Okanagan for 11 years. RCMP intended to teach about 10 lessons to students in 65 classes this school year on the pitfalls of using drugs and alcohol. There's no hard evidence the program works, but police around the world use it. Locally, officers focus on Grade 5 students and some Grade 8 classes. "We do a great job getting out to Grade 5, but you're supposed to be back in Grade 8 and Grade 11. If you can't continue to reinforce, I'm not so sure you're doing the program justice," McKinnon said. Police say they plan to launch a less resource-intensive program called Project Blast Off, in which the Kelowna Rockets talk to middle-school students about their impressions of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. RCMP may also introduce Gateway, an anti-drug program the Surrey detachment offers. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake