DARE Drug Abuse Resistance Education

The D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program is a semester-long course targeting fifth and sixth grade students and taught by uniformed police officers. Included in the lessons are many basic life skills such as making decisions about risky behavior, resistance techniques (ways to say no), building and maintaining good self esteem, conflict resolution, and dealing with violent behavior.

Currently, D.A.R.E. is being taught in all seven elementary schools in Creve Coeur. Thus far, just over 3,000 students have graduated successfully from the program. The Creve Coeur program is unique in that the officers spend the entire day at the assigned school and visit with all of the classes from Kindergarten to Eighth grade. Through this contact with the students at recess, lunch and during extracurricular activities, they are better able to interact with the students and reinforce the program's goals.

D.A.R.E. training culminates with all of the students coming together in the evening for a graduation ceremony. An essay contest is held and the winners are announced. Also, the D.A.R.E. Student of the Semester award from each class is presented. A keynote speaker of notoriety is chosen to speak to the students about drugs and violence in the real world.

The D.A.R.E. pilot program began in Los Angles California in 1983. The Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified School District designed the program to meet the growing drug and gang problems. Since 1983, D.A.R.E. has grown and is being taught around the country and in forty four foreign countries resulting in over 33,000 children being taught to combat drugs and violence in their lives. The Creve Coeur Police Department implemented the D.A.R.E. program in 1990.

For more information, contact Officer Jon McIntosh at (314) 442-2075 or Officer Phil Lane at (314) 872-2540.