DARE

D.A.R.E.®

Drug Abuse Resistance Education

 Since its inception in 1983 Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.®) has remained a strong prevention catalyst in communities around the world.

D.A.R.E.® has stood the test of time and has connected law enforcement, educators, parents and students to the noble cause of raising awareness in the critical area of drug and violence prevention.  The presence of a uniformed D.A.R.E.® Officer has made school campuses safer for students and focused on prevention, in most situations these law enforcement ambassadors were being asked to perform a number of critical functions centered on school safety issues.

 School Resource Officer Program (S.R.O.)

For decades law enforcement officials have assigned personnel to school campuses for various roles and responsibilities.  The latest trend supported by varied funding sources is commonly referred to as the School Resource Officer – S.R.O. Program.  The program was based on the idea that the school would become the officer’s primary beat assignment.  This concept of placing officers in schools would strengthen the strong emphasis on community policing in America.

Since the arrival of “Rage Violence” in schools around the world many communities have strengthened their support for the S.R.O. movement.  Following the tragedy of Columbine High School, national, state and local funding sources became readily available to initiate the officer in school program.

 New D.A.R.E./S.R.O. Program

The new D.A.R.E.® philosophy clearly fits into today’s world.  D.A.R.E.® Officers are assigned to schools with the goal of building healthy relationships and providing useful prevention strategies for students, parents and educators.  These powerful bonds translate into positive decision making skills which in turn provides for a safer school and community.

The national D.A.R.E.® program has launched a massive training initiative to provide all D.A.R.E.® Officers with necessary tools to become multi-faceted in their approach to school based policing.  This concept is concentrating on two specific areas for law enforcement agencies around the world.  First it serves to address local fiscal stress issues where law enforcement executives have been faced with the question D.A.R.E. or S.R.O..  Secondly, it provides through the P.I. E. formula the necessary tools that D.A.R.E.® Officers need to effectively adopt the school as a neighborhood.

D.A.R.E.® Officers beginning in the spring of 2003 have been trained in school based problem solving, legal issues and school safety trends and patterns.  The goal of this training initiative is not to change the delivery of the program, but to enhance officer presence while on campus.

Deputy Scott W. Cyrway of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office has been involved in D.A.R.E.® since 1992 and has been a Mentor for the Northern New England Trainings since 2003 to enforce the new combined D.A.R.E.® and S.R.O. training to other officers throughout the United States and once in a while officers from Canada.

Deputy Cyrway is active in many schools in Kennebec County providing the D.A.R.E.® program as well as being their School Resource Officer.