Township In Talks With School Officials To Fill Void Left By Police Program Cuts Two police programs that cater to thousands of Edison youngsters every year have become victims of this year's budget tightening. Township officials said their need to save money and consolidate services, and to put more police officers on the road, resulted in their axing both the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program and the popular Junior Police Academy. "We honestly believe [these programs] are beneficial for the students," said Bill Stephens, management specialist for the township. "We will work on coming up with cost-efficient ways so that we can continue to work with the youths." [continues 642 words]
BETHEL --Eleven-year-old Lauren Messert wants to save the drug education program she thinks works, so she's circulating a petition to reinstate DARE a year after she took the course. The Bethel Middle School sixth-grader has collected more than 500 signatures of Bethel parents, teachers and students and hopes to use the petition to show the Police Commission that the drug education program should not be cut. The Police Department said staffing needs required eliminating the program Youth Officer Ralph DeLuca taught to fifth-graders in the second half of the school year, running half-hour classes for 10 weeks. [continues 399 words]
Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program Is Reinventing Itself After Years Of Being Dropped By Schools And Police Departments D.A.R.E. isn't just about drug prevention anymore. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program is reinventing itself after years of being dropped by schools and police departments struggling with stretched financial budgets. To prove its relevance, D.A.R.E. has added lessons about online safety, bullying, choosing good role models and other current topics. It also is teaming up for certain subjects with experts from the community - not just police - to save cities and schools money. [continues 1081 words]
In the 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded schools' power to randomly drug test students in all extracurricular activities. "We find that testing students who participate in extracurricular activities is a reasonably effective means of addressing the school district's legitimate concerns in preventing, deterring and detecting drug use," Justice Clarence Thomas, U.S. Supreme Court, said in the 5-4 decision for the case of Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls. [continues 719 words]
Over the last few years, Cranbrook RCMP have taken a new approach to drug and alcohol prevention. The Community Prevention Education Continuum helps young people make healthy choices throughout their schooling. The federal RCMP Drug and Organized Crime Awareness Service has taken notice and wants to expand the program to other communities. Corporal Al Nutini who coordinates CPEC in Cranbrook says community mobilization is the key to the success of the program. He feels in Cranbrook it is truly the community that raises the children. CPEC is taking already established initiatives, such as the RCMP-run DARE program and enhancing them by partnering with other community organizations. [continues 342 words]
A news conference highlighting the success of a drug prevention strategy piloted in Cranbrook was held Thursday afternoon just outside the Cranbrook Rec Plex. The RCMP has been experimenting with the way it educates young people about drugs and alcohol and a program piloted in Cranbrook has proved so successful the RCMP's Drug and Organized Crime Awareness Service (DOCAS) is now ready to expand it to other communities. Cst. Michael McLaughlin, Federal Media Relations Officer with the RCMP, said the program, which has been running for between six and seven years, has seen positive results. [continues 630 words]
Fewer schoolchildren in Metro Detroit will have officers in their classrooms this fall to warn them about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The latest police department to drop or pare participation in Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Warren is reassigning officers to road patrols. Shelby Township cut DARE for similar reasons but reached a deal last month with Utica Community Schools to preserve a scaled-down version of the course. The police-led classroom series has been dropped from dozens of Michigan departments in recent years. Lincoln Park and Woodhaven police nixed the program years ago. Sterling Heights said the fate of its drug awareness course is uncertain. [continues 713 words]
"DARE To Just Say No" is the slogan that uniformed police officers teach to fifth- and seventh-graders in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education's 17-week anti-drug course. But at this year's DARE graduation in May, while kids were saying "no" to cocaine, heroine and methamphetamine, Cortez Police DARE Officer Vern Rucker briefly touched on the subject of medical marijuana and the confusion it might cause for youths who have parents or other relatives with prescription cards. "It's hard to talk about because (marijuana) laws are changing so much and they contradict each other," Rucker said. "Colorado has made an amendment to the Constitution in legalizing medical marijuana, but it's still illegal (on the federal level)." [continues 809 words]
Illegal drug activity is on the rise in the city, according to Fort Saskatchewan RCMP statistics. In 2005, there were eight charges laid. That number quadrupled to 35 charges in 2006 and increased to 53 in 2007. It dropped in 2008, down to 36 charges, but it was back up again last year, with 58 drug charges laid. "From 2005 to 2006 when it quadrupled, that's a big concern," said Const. Brian McLeod, media liaison with the Fort Saskatchewan RCMP. "And the fact that 2008 to 2009 (saw) a 50 per cent increase is a concern too. We certainly don't want to see that kind of a jump when the 2010 stats come in." [continues 512 words]
AURORA - A proposal to shift $1 in each violation assessed in Municipal Court from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program to the Victim Assistant Law Enforcement Training Program will be discussed by Aurora City Council members at a Monday study session. The study session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Aurora Municipal Center. Members of the Public Safety and Courts Committee agreed the DARE program funding should be reduced from $5 per violation to $4 per violation and funding for the VALET program should be increased from $12 to $13 per violation to meet a growing need in the Victim Services Unit. The additional funds will be used to add one additional full time victim advocate, increasing VALET's staff to six full time employees. [continues 193 words]
EDWARDSVILLE - Cherry, lime and orange were not tasty fruit, but rather the paint colors of dozens of vehicles at the 19th annual D.A.R.E. Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show. Rows of brightly colored cars, trucks and motorcycles filled the parking lot Sunday at Edwardsville High School for the annual event, which benefits the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. "My car is candy apple red," said Ron Stroud of East Alton. Stroud entered his restored 1969 Chevrolet Yenko 427 SC Nova in the show. [continues 422 words]
SCIO - Justin Guest is fine with being in a pool for random drug tests this fall at Scio High School. The way he sees it, tests will prove the Logger football team doesn't do drugs. But it irks the 17-year-old linebacker that the pool will include only students who participate in sports or physical extracurricular activities, such as forestry competitions. "I think they should have to test everyone," said Guest, a senior. "I just kind of think it's unfair, almost like we're getting punished." [continues 1826 words]
Independence, MO - A recalculation of how much money Independence received from a Jackson County anti-drug sales tax to fund the D.A.R.E. program prompted the Independence Police Department to make changes in staffing the program. The police department each year gets money from COMBAT (countywide anti-drug sales tax) to fund D.A.R.E. or Drug Abuse Resistance Education. County officials and officials representing law enforcement jurisdictions met to discuss how COMBAT money would be used for D.A.R.E. The result was a reconfiguration on how the tax money was distributed. [continues 470 words]
WEST HAVEN - In one corner of the playground outside Washington School, Clinton Police Officer Matthew Reed had a group of young campers laughing, as he joked and led a conversation about friendship and peer pressure. Across the parking lot, West Haven Officer Kim Bennett sat with a group of 6, 7 and 8 year olds, listening to their questions and suggestions, and teaching them about safe decision making. But the children aren't the students here, the police officers are. For two weeks, West Haven has hosted 27 officers from across the state and country in the city's first Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer training program. [continues 282 words]
Parents can look forward to some positive changes to Ontario's elementary school curriculum this fall. While the jury is still out on proposed changes to the sex-education program, the provincial government is moving ahead with curriculum adjustments on a number of fronts, including bullying, gambling and drug abuse. "About 90 per cent of the proposed health and physical-education curriculum is going forward, and that relates to such issues as gym, fitness, healthy eating, drug abuse," Education ministry spokesperson Frank Clarke told The Canadian Press. [continues 289 words]
ORMOND BEACH -- A glitzy paint job and community contributions helped transform a drug dealer's car into a teaching tool. The makeover outfitted a 2005 Nissan Altima -- confiscated last year during a police drug bust -- with lights, sirens, police radio and all the needs of Drug Abuse Resistance Education officers. The car, now in use by Crime Prevention officers Lloyd Cornelius and Gregory Stokes, will help keep students' attention during programs that teach school children to avoid drugs, gangs and violence. [continues 228 words]
The most enjoyable part of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education fifth-grade program for 11-year-old Taylor Mix was writing an essay on what she learned. "I've learned what you do echoes throughout your whole life," she said. "If you make bad decisions, it will basically ruin your life." This week, Mix had the opportunity to attend the DARE Camp at Camp Child about 20 miles west of Helena. During camp, local students about to enter the sixth grade got the chance to canoe, play Hawaiian horseshoes and other confidence and team-building exercises. [continues 442 words]
Pot Advocates Ask DARE Officers to Read Book on Pot Vs. Alcohol Local pot advocate Mason Tvert is daring officers to read his book. The publisher of Tvert's 2009 release, "Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?", is distributing free copies of the pro-marijuana book this week at a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) conference in Cincinnati. DARE officers and instructors at the training conference are being encouraged to read the book and then take its message back to students that marijuana is safer than alcohol N a message that has propelled Tvert into local and national stardom for his efforts to legalize marijuana. [continues 628 words]
After successful use of group medical appointments at Omineca Medical Clinic during the H1N1 pandemic, clinic staff has launched another project. "Our physicians wanted to address some of the problems that happen in any community," explained clinic manager Karen Bancroft. "We've got good kids," Bancroft says of the community, adding that there are always those at risk of things like alcohol and drug use, among other risky behaviours. "We want them to know that they can come talk to a doctor at any time and we will all help them without judgment," she said. [continues 768 words]
Parents attending a DARE graduation ceremony at Donald C. Jamieson Academy in Burin last week received a reminder from police. The message was that they, too, must be extra vigilant in the effort to protect their children against the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Students from Anita Piercey's and Margaret Ann Cleal's two Grade 6 classes were rewarded June 14 for the successful completion of the DARE - 'Drug Abuse Resistance Education' - program, instructed by Cst. Mike Martel of the RCMP's Burin Customs and Excise Section, with certificates and a party at the school. [continues 404 words]