Pubdate: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC) Copyright: 2009, West Partners Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.kelownacapnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) CUTTING DARE A TOUGH CALL A long-running drug education program is being cut from Kelowna schools in January due to dwindling police resources. RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon said that given the resource pressures presently being experienced, the RCMP in Kelowna could no longer continue to teach the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program and would re-allocate the position to the Serious Crime Unit. The DARE program has run in area schools for 11 years. It involves RCMP school liaison officers teaching 10 lessons per class on healthy choices and decision models children can use when faced with drugs. RCMP Insp. Cam Forgues said the detachment is supportive of the DARE program and the benefits it provides both to area youth and the detachment. "It's a difficult decision to make, but is necessary to re-allocate the funds from the program into our homicide investigations," Forgues said. "Our detachment is committed to bringing forth an alternate program that will involve fewer resources and yet still be effective in our schools. Our detachment is just tapped out, and we have to make cutbacks within." RCMP Sgt. Ann Morrison has been teaching the DARE program for 11 years. She said the alternate program being developed in Kelowna would deliver one or two lessons on making healthy choices regarding drugs. Morrison said she saw benefits of the school-based program in a positive relationship between officers and children, and in providing the children with a decision model they can use well into adulthood. Morrison noted the cut is ultimately a decision about resources, and pointed out McKinnon is having to do more with less. She said it is difficult to have a full-time police officer allocated to teaching DARE. Morrison added the school district is under similar constraints. She noted that the RCMP detachment is committed to staying in schools. "We believe that is where we need to be." - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D