Under the pressure of staffing issues and time needed to train new officers, the Arvada Police Department will cut the city’s 13-year-old Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.
The DARE curriculum specifically was designed by educators for drug and crime education to be taught by experienced law enforcement officers in the classroom.
“As chief of police, I personally hold a great deal of regard and value to the effectiveness of the DARE program. However, our department had to look at the fact that the objectives of the DARE program are not as immediate and tangible as the immediate needs for emergency response in patrol,” said Arvada Police Chief Ron Sloan.
“That is one of the reasons why the decision to eliminate the DARE program was made.”
The decision to eliminate DARE has not come to the police department without a great deal of discussion, analysis and review, according to Sloan. He said the Arvada program has developed a character over the last 13 years like none other due to the dedication and professionalism of the officers and supervisors.
“It is unique because of the relationships that have been fostered with the children, parents, teachers, administrators and other staff at our elementary schools,” said Sloan.
“It is unique because of the political support and understanding of the importance of police presence and prevention education in the elementary schools. And finally, it is unique because of the community involvement in DARE through the foundation and the sponsorships of the individual schools. For these reasons and more, the decision to discontinue the program has been painful for me.”
Recently, the national DARE program has received a $14 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to rewrite its curriculum and improve its effectiveness in schools.
“All of our curriculum … is brand new. It’s researched-based and scientifically proven,” said the DARE America Regional Director Dale Brown in Los Angeles. “We’ve re-trained all of the DARE officer’s nationwide in new ways to teach DARE. We now teach them facilitation skills, which is active learning, teach kids by coaching them having them to exercises and solve problems rather then just listen to the officer lecture.”
DARE is a great product, said Brown, but he admits some states are going through financial difficulties and are being forced to make hard decisions regarding their programs.
“There’s a trickle effect where the state cuts funds to the municipalities, and they look to see what (they can) cut to deliver basic services,” said Brown. “DARE seems to float to the top, so I’ve seen some departments suspend the program until they get healthy again.”
Sloan will share the reasons behind the decision to cut the DARE program at the next quarterly Chief’s Community Roundtable from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, in the Anne Campbell Room at Arvada City Hall, 8101 Ralston Road. The roundtable is made up of a snapshot of residents.
It is not a public forum, rather an opportunity for the chief to discuss police policies and procedures that might not be commonly known, he said.