D.A.R.E. CAR GETS HONOR

RIDGECREST - The Ridgecrest Police Department's D.A.R.E. vehicle - a black
1998 Chevrolet Camaro - will be the model for a Mattel Matchbox toy car.

After signing a five-year agreement with D.A.R.E. America to produce small
replicas of D.A.R.E. cars, Mattel representatives visited D.A.R.E.
conferences to get a first-hand look at some of the police officers' vehicles.

"We also received quite a few letters and photos from DARE officers who
wanted to see their cars immortalized in a Matchbox vehicle," said Darrin
Greene, senior product manager for Matchbox collectibles. "From there, 24
vehicles were posted on the Matchbox Web site (www.Matchbox.com), and kids
were asked to vote for their favorites."

When 12 winning cars were announced in April, Ridgecrest's car - donated to
the police department in 1998 - was not on the list.

"I was shocked our car didn't get picked," said Ridgecrest Police D.A.R.E.
officer Mike Myers. "We had so much local support."

Although the car did not get enough votes for the first cut, it did get
enough to grab the attention of the Mattel design team. Mattel decided to
produce the Ridgecrest vehicle, thinking it would be marketable, according
to Greene.

"The Ridgecrest car was one of the kids' favorites, and a favorite of the
design team as well," Greene said. "The graphics on the car are very cool,
and that's a primary consideration when picking vehicles that will sell."

Myers believes Ridgecrest's D.A.R.E. vehicle, which was selected Best of
Show at the 1999 California D.A.R.E. car show, effectively wins the
attention of local youth.

"The car breaks a communication barrier," said Myers. "We show the kids
that it's not true that the only way to get a cool car is by dealing drugs."

Founded in 1983, D.A.R.E., which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance
Education, is an officer-led education program for students from
kindergarten through high school. Its mission is to provide children with
the information and skills they need to live drug-free.