Pubdate: Fri, 28 Feb 2003
Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 Kamloops This Week
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271
Author: Darshan Lindsay
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

DARE PROGRAM AT RISK OF ENDING

While the school district, faced with a staggering increase in drug 
suspensions, investigates solutions, a drug education program is at risk of 
being cut.

The DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, which has been taught 
at the Grade 5 and 6 levels by RCMP officers for the last three years, is 
under review as the local police detachment prioritizes what it can and 
cannot do with limited staffing.

"There are some things that are nice-to-have and some that are 
need-to-have," Supt. Andy Murray says.

"We need to have police officers on the street responding to crime and 
investigating historical crime. If that means we need more officers on the 
street, some programs are at risk. The DARE program is one of them."

A review of police operations is under way, says Murray, with a goal of 
prioritizing responsibilities.

The five core functions - general duty, traffic, major crimes, drug 
enforcement and community policing - will remain, but what else will won't 
be known until the review is complete later in the year.

"It's the reality of business. Until we're able to present the argument to 
the city for more resources, we have to review things." Kamloops is served 
by 101 police officers, the lowest when stacked up to comparable communities.

Const. Kate Bamber has co-ordinated the local DARE program since its 
inception locally in 2000.

Last year, the 17-week course was at the height of its success being taught 
at 12 different schools. Bamber was assisted by three other officers.

This school year, however, she's been working alone, and only half-time as 
she's also been pulled into traffic duty. As a result, only six schools 
were targetted this year.

Bamber has submitted a proposal for an updated DARE program, which would 
run only 10 weeks at a time, and is optimistic. "I don't think we've seen 
the end of DARE in Kamloops."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom