Drug Abuse Resistance Education
The D.A.R.E. Program was introduced into our schools in 1993. Originally the D.A.R.E. curriculum was taught in kindergarten through 5th grade. Now, we primarily focus on the 5th grade level. The current D.A.R.E. Instructor is Sherri McGuire. Throughout the years, the Parsons community has strongly supported the program and the department.
The D.A.R.E. curriculum is designed to be taught by police officers whose training and experience have given them the background needed to answer the sophisticated questions often posed by young students about drugs and crime. Prior to entering the D.A.R.E. program, officers undergo 80 hours of special training in areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills.
D.A.R.E. is universally viewed as an internationally recognized model of community policing. The United States Department of Justice has identified how D.A.R.E. benefits local communities:
D.A.R.E. "humanizes" the police: that is, young people can begin to relate to officers as people
D.A.R.E. permits students to see officers in a helping role, not just an enforcement role
D.A.R.E. opens lines of communication between law enforcement and youth
D.A.R.E. Officers can serve as conduits to provide information beyond drug-related topics
D.A.R.E. opens dialogue between the school, police, and parents to deal with other issues
For more information on the Parsons Police Department DARE program, please contact Officer, Sherri McGuire or log onto the National DARE website at www.dare.com .
