14 Officers Graduate from State D.A.R.E. Training

 

Taught by the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s internationally recognized D.A.R.E. unit, the Officer Training, also held at Natchez Trace, began on June 6, and included an intensive two-week curriculum that certified each law enforcement person to teach D.A.R.E. to elementary and middle school students. The graduates, who were also trained to assume duties as School Resource Officers (SRO's), represented eight Tennessee law enforcement agencies from across the state, as well as bureaus from Alabama, Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

 

“We are proud to welcome the 14 law enforcement graduates into the D.A.R.E. Officer unit,” said THP Colonel Mike Walker. “We pride ourselves in educating officers about the importance of this world-renowned program. Their contribution in keeping our young people drug- and violence-free will certainly be one of the most rewarding of their careers. If the intervention efforts of these officers change the life of just one child, then the program has been successful.”

 

The 27-year old D.A.R.E. program is taught in 75 percent of the nation’s school districts and in more than 43 countries around the world. In 2007, D.A.R.E. expanded its curriculum to include lessons about the risks of abusing prescription and over-the-counter medicines. THP D.A.R.E. officers were among the first in the country to teach this new program, presenting the new lessons at Monteagle Elementary School in April 2008.

 

“D.A.R.E. Officers are at the forefront against the war on drugs and violence in our communities,” said THP Sergeant Scott Staggs, Tennessee D.A.R.E. Coordinator. “Our jobs are to teach children the significance of acting decisively and confidently in difficult situations. The new D.A.R.E. Officers have an important task ahead of them, and I’m confident they now have the knowledge and skills to meet the challenge head on.” 

 

Since 1990, the THP has trained approximately 900 D.A.R.E. Officers through the training seminars in Nashville. The classes have prepared officers to work with young people on drug education, resistance to peer pressure, refusal skills, decision making skills and awareness about drugs and health.  D.A.R.E. programs across Tennessee reach approximately 85 percent of all school systems, and an estimated 60,000 children each year.  For more information, visit http://state.tn.us/safety/dare.htm .