Maitland City Talk

I D.A.R.E. you!

By Howard Schieferdecker
| 10:24 a.m. June 5, 2013

Winter Park - Maitland Observer
Opinion

We dare you. We dare you to make the right choices. We dare you to be strong. We dare you to be an individual, and we dare you to say no. These are some of the challenges we present in the very successful Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program that the Maitland Police Department presents to our community’s fifth graders at both Lake Sybelia and Dommerich elementary schools.

This 10-week program is funded by the Police Department budget and is unquestionably one of the most important and well-liked public outreach and education programs your Police Department sponsors. Each year, the Department’s school resource officer, Allison Diller, coordinates and instructs each fifth grader on the risks and dangers of misusing drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco, as well as other potentially damaging substances. The instruction goes beyond just the dangers of drugs, but also addresses peer pressure and self-esteem.

Each fifth grade class has an official graduation ceremony at the conclusion of the D.A.R.E. course of study. Each student who completes the program earns awards, and students can earn special awards in an essay contest. This award ceremony is very popular with both students and parents, and includes the awards ceremony, a pizza lunch, and outdoor games and activities. All of these activities are funded by the Police Department and the activities are staffed by police officers. The results from those who have attended this prevention program are often seen years later. It is not unusual for a teenager or young adult to approach one of our officers and tell them how this program influenced their life in a positive way.

Of course D.A.R.E. is just one component of a multi-pronged approach that our children should benefit from to encourage them to make correct life choices. The first line of defense are the parents. You, the parent, have the most influence in your child’s decision-making process, and are the main model for their value system. We have found that children who have had good modeling from their parents rarely find themselves in trouble. Conversely, children who receive little positive value instruction from their parents often have difficulty. Encourage your children to have confidence. Teach them that making good decisions leads to positive outcomes that are often replicated time and time again.

We are so convinced that this program is important that we assigned one of our best to be your children’s D.A.R.E. officer. Officer Allison Diller has been an officer with the Maitland Police Department for 17 years. She has been assigned to the uniformed patrol division and has been a detective with the criminal investigative section. Allison has a bachelor degree from Northeastern University in Boston, and has completed hundreds of hours of post-graduate training. She has been a school resource officer for 10 years, and has dedicated herself to assisting your children in being the best that they can be.

We understand that in today’s culture, coupled with intense peer pressure, it is not always easy to make the correct choice. Because some decisions, even at the young age of a D.A.R.E. student, can have significant consequences. We encourage our young people to just say no to drugs. We dare you!

Written by: Deputy Chief Bill McEachnie

Maitland Police Department

CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF JUNE 10, 2013

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State Senator Geraldine Thompson – Legislative Update

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