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The D.A.R.E. Program
The School Resource Officer Program
The Purpose
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a collaborative effort
by DARE certified law enforcement officers, educators , students,
parents and community to offer an educational program in the classroom
to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth.
The emphasis of DARE is to help students recognize and resist the many
direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with
alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, or other drugs or to engage in
violence.
DARE is a
federally funded program that offers preventive strategies to enhance
those protective factors - especially bonding to the family, school and
community - which appears to foster the development of resiliency in
young people who may be at risk for substance abuse or other problem
behaviors. Researchers have identified certain protective and social
bonding factors in the family, school, and community which may foster
resiliency in young people, in other words, the capacity of young people
for healthy, independent growth in spite of adverse conditions. These
strategies focus on the development of social competence, communication
skills, self-esteem, empathy, decision making, conflict resolution,
sense of purpose and independence, and positive alternative activities
to drug abuse and other destructive behaviors.
The Organization
The program content for DARE is organized into seventeen 45 to 60
minute lessons to be taught by a law enforcement officer with suggested
extended activities to be integrated into other instruction by the
classroom teacher. A specially trained officer is assigned to the school
to conduct weekly lessons in the fifth grade. Student participation in
the DARE program may be incorporated as an integral part of the school's
curricular offering in health, science, social studies, language arts,
or other subject(s) as appropriate. The classroom teacher maintains a
supportive role in classroom management while the officer is teaching
and incorporates DARE program participation by students as an integral
part of the student's final evaluation.
Comprehensive Program Approach
The DARE program - offered in concert with other school-based
prevention activities and intervention strategies for the
identification, early intervention, and aftercare support of students at
risk for substance abuse - may be viewed as a comprehensive substance
abuse program that meets the goals of the federal Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act.
A comprehensive program within the school offers such educational
activities as the following to heighten awareness and knowledge about
alcohol and other drug dependencies:
A comprehensive program of instruction of the harmful effects of
alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs that are commonly abused.
The program is sequential and grade-appropriate for kindergarten
through senior high school.
Ideally, this instruction should be offered as an integral part
of the school's comprehensive health curriculum.
Faculty in-service training.
Instruction by DARE officer in target classrooms.
Parent education, including a DARE evening for parents.
Interest groups.
Parent outreach and support.
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The
Macomb Police School Resource Officer (SRO)
Program
The School Resource Officer (SRO) concept is the
placement of an experienced law enforcement professional
in the High School, Middle Schools, and Elementary
Schools with the goal of creating and maintaining safe,
secure, orderly learning environments for students,
faculty and staff. With this type of program, the
officer represents more than a "cop in a shop." The SRO
program reflects the community's desire to ensure that
our schools are safe, secure, and orderly.
The SRO should be looked at as a resource to which the
school community can turn. As such, the SRO fulfills
three roles by using the TRIAD approach. The officer
acts as law enforcement officer, a law related
counselor, and a law related teacher. As a law
enforcement officer, the primary purpose is to “keep the
peace.” As a law related counselor, the officer provides
resource guidance to students, parents, teachers, staff
and acts as a link to support services both inside and
outside the school. As a law related presenter, the
officer will share special law enforcement expertise by
presentations in the classroom to promote a better
understanding of our laws. Furthermore, the SRO also
serves as a positive role model for the students on
campus during school hours and off campus at
extracurricular activities.
Sgt. Jason York and Officer Luke Renfroe have served as
DARE/SRO officers in the past. Sgt. York re-built
the program after it had been stalling for a few years.
Officer Renfroe continued to serve area students after
Sgt. York received a promotion and had to step away from
the program. Officer Renfroe had a successful year
in the schools with a lot of positive feedback from the
students and staff.
The current and newest DARE/SRO Officer is Chris
Butcher. Officer Butcher has been on the
department since 2001 in the patrol division
and currently serves as a Range Officer, Controlled
Tactics Instructor, Field Training
Officer, and a department armorer. Officer
Butcher is excited about the opportunity to establish a
connection to the young members of our community.
Officer Chris Butcher can be reached by contacting:
Macomb Police at 309-833-4505
(non-emergency only)
email:cbutcher@macombpolice.com
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