Pubdate: Tue, 08 Aug 2006 Source: Arizona Daily Star (AZ) Copyright: 2006 Pulitzer Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.azstarnet.com/star/today/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/23 Author: Alexis Huicochea Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Tucson Region NEW PROGRAM TO REPLACE SHERIFF'S DARE The Pima County Sheriff's Department is taking a new approach to keeping kids out of trouble, and the first step is getting rid of the nationally known DARE program. Getting rid of the decades-old Drug Abuse Resistance Education program does not mean that law enforcement will stop talking to kids about the dangers of drugs, officials said Monday. They will simply take a new approach through the STAR program, or Student Training and Response. The program, which was unveiled Monday, is a partnership between the Sheriff's Department, school districts and community leaders, said Capt. Oscar Miranda, commander of the support operations division. It is built around three components: education, enforcement and mentorship. Instead of simply telling kids to say no to drugs, gangs and other criminal activity, the STAR program aims to promote successful goal-setting and explain how issues like drugs, gangs, violence and bullying will prevent people from achieving their goals, Miranda said. The STAR program not only intends to hold kids accountable for their actions legally but to make sure that something positive comes from an incident, which is where the mentors come in, he said. "If we have a kid who gets in trouble for graffiti, we are going to hold him accountable, but we are also going to look at avenues in which he can use his art skills in a more productive way, like painting murals or working with an artist," Miranda said. The Sheriff's Department decided to do away with DARE because it was not flexible enough to meet the needs of specific schools and communities, Miranda said. Several school-district representatives, including Sunnyside, Tucson, Flowing Wells, Amphitheater, Vail, Marana and Sahuarita, were present during the unveiling of the new program. "This is a great move toward a more local response to local needs," said Flowing Wells Superintendent Nicholas I. Clement. The STAR program is offered to fifth-graders through the Sheriff's Department school resource officer unit. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake