Pubdate: Sat, 19 Jan 2008
Source: Herald-Zeitung (New Braunfels, TX)
Copyright: 2008 Herald-Zeitung
Contact:  http://herald-zeitung.com/letter.lasso
Website: http://www.herald-zeitung.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3053
Author: Georgia Fisher
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

D.A.R.E HELPS CHILDREN MAKE SMART CHOICES

Despite being the sole D.A.R.E. officer in booming Comal County, 
James Moorerefuses to miss a beat - or admit to being overwhelmed.

"I'm able to handle it right now," said Moore, a sheriff's deputy who 
taughtthe national drug resistance program to a whopping 1,200 
fifth-gradestudents last year.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., began in Los Angeles in 
1983as a federally funded initiative to reduce drug use and crime. 
According toD.A.R.E. literature, the program's curriculum, which 
faced particularscrutiny in the mid-90s, is updated regularly to 
incorporate the latestscientific data and cultural trends.

Denise Kern, principal at Startzville Elementary, said the 10-week 
programhas improved noticeably over time.

"I think it's gotten a lot more focused," Kern said. "The officers 
havereally become good teachers, which is kind of a challenge because 
it's notnecessarily what they get trained to do.

"The proverbial "just say no" approach isn't effective on its own, Kern said.

"It's like when you discipline a child and say 'don't do that. Don't 
dothat,' then don't give them a clue what to do," she said, adding 
thatStartzville students often grow visibly excited as "D.A.R.E. day" 
approacheseach week.

The program targets fifth-graders because "they're at the age where 
theywant to be kids, but at the same time they want to start growing 
up, startdoing things on their own without parental supervision," 
Moore said. "This is where peer pressure kicks in.

"The rewards of being a role model and confidante have been staggering, hesaid.

"I've had kids open up to me, had kids ask questions I never thought 
kidswould've asked," said Moore, a father of three whose interest in 
the programharks back to an upbringing in small-town Indiana, where 
he served as acoach for his local boys' club.

"It's amazing what some of the kids come upand talk to me about. And 
listen, that's satisfaction like you wouldn'tbelieve.

"Moore hopes a second officer will be on hand before August, when 
redrawnattendance zones will add another five elementary campuses to 
Comal County's list.

"We at the sheriff's office are planning to get another person 
trained as aD.A.R.E. Officer, because the next school year is when 
they'll redraw theboundaries and start shuffling the kids around," Moore said.

Plus he'd like to add Goodwin Frazier and Freiheit elementaries to 
the list,he said, though both are within city limits and outside his 
regular coveragearea. Originally covered by the New Braunfels Police 
Department, the twocampuses and several in NBISD dropped D.A.R.E. in 
2003, when NBPD was forcedto pull out for lack of funding.

NBPD participates in various youth outreach programs; D.A.R.E. or a 
similarcurriculum may be implemented again by the department, said 
Police Chief RonEverett, who called it "a noteworthy program."

Moore said he values the opportunity to cast law enforcement in a warmlight.

"It humanizes us," he said. "We don't all walk around like RoboCop, 
wantingto arrest people all the time," he said. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake