Derry Township Police (Pennsylvania) - D.A.R.E.

D.A.R.E.

The D.A.R.E. Program is a Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program. It stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It was developed in 1983 as a cooperative effort of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District to prevent drug abuse among children and youth.

While traditional programs focus on the harmful effects of drugs, D.A.R.E. goes further by helping students recognize and resist the many subtle pressures that influence them to use illegal drugs, join gangs, and commit violence. In addition, program strategies are planned to focus on the development of social competence, communication skills, self-esteem, empathy, decision making, conflict resolution, sense of purpose and independence, and positive alternative activities to drug abuse and other destructive behaviors.

The program content for D.A.R.E. is organized into seventeen 60 minute lessons to be taught by a law enforcement officer. It also contains suggested extended activities to be integrated into other instruction by the classroom teacher. A specially trained officer is assigned to school several days a week for each semester to conduct weekly lessons.

Currently, D.A.R.E. is taught by uniformed law enforcement officials and sheriff's deputies in all 50 states and over two dozen foreign countries.

Ten- and eleven-year-olds are targeted because this is the last year before they move to the middle school. As you can imagine, the introduction of new educational processes, being on the threshold of puberty, and wanting to exercise some independence can place additional pressures upon them. Learning how to deal with these new challenges and pressures is essential in attempting to divert students from experimentation with drugs and alcohol.

The Derry Township Police Department and the Derry Township School District started the drug education program with the D.A.R.E. Program in 1992. Sgt. Roy Warlow was the first D.A.R.E. Officer trained to conduct these classes followed by Officer Mary Kepple in 1995. By the end of this school year, over 1,350 5th and 7th grade students of the Hershey Intermediate Elementary School will have graduated from the program.

In January 1997, the D.A.R.E. program was expanded to include 7th grade students from the Hershey Middle School. This program was designed to help strengthen previously learned skills needed to resist pressures to use alcohol and other drugs, reduce feelings of anger, and avoid becoming involved in acts of violence. Topics of discussion include the Juvenile Justice System, issues of concern to teenagers, and the consequences of alcohol and other drug use.

Beginning the school year of 2000 - 2001 two additional Dare Officers were added to the program. Officers Anthony Clements and Tom Pavone were newly hired Police officers for Derry Township who had previous Dare certification from the other department they came from. Beginning that year Officer Clements taught both programs for 5th and 7th grade Dare programs. Officer Pavone taught the 5th grade.