Pubdate: Wed, 04 May 2005
Source: Brewton Standard, The (AL)
Copyright: 2005 Brewton Standard
Contact:  http://www.brewtonstandard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1694
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

Our View

RESOURCE OFFICERS POSITIVE FOR SCHOOLS

The middle schools in the Escambia County School System should be safer, 
and their students will have an opportunity to get to know law enforcement 
officers on a personal basis beginning next year.

Sheriff Grover Smith has worked with three private trusts, the Escambia 
County Commission and the Escambia County Board of Education to raise the 
money needed to put resource officers in the county's middle schools.

Smith said the officers will be placed primarily at W.S. Neal Middle 
School, Escambia County Middle School in Atmore, and Flomaton Middle 
School. Additionally, the officers will rotate visiting middle school 
classes at McCall and Huxford schools. In addition, the D.A.R.E. (Drug and 
Alcohol Resistance Education) program will be implemented in the fifth 
grades of each school.

This program will no doubt yield positive benefits in each of the schools. 
Experts agree that by the time students reach high school, it is often too 
late to discourage them from using illegal substances.

We salute both Sheriff Smith and those who've opened their purses to help 
fund this program.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman