POLICE WARN DARE SOLICITATION IS SCAM

VERNON - Local police are warning residents today about a recent scam
to collect money, ostensibly for the DARE - or Drug Abuse Resistance
Education - law enforcement program that educates youth on the
hazards of drugs and alcohol.

The Vernon Police Department does not solicit money by telephone and
currently has no DARE program, Officer Daniel Champagne says.

In recent days police have received calls from area residents and
businesses who say they were solicited by phone for donations to the
non-existent Vernon DARE program, Champagne said. The callers
specifically stated that they represented the Vernon Police
Department, which is false, he added.

There were also reports of individuals standing outside Vernon
businesses and claiming to represent the local department's DARE program.

"The Vernon Police Department does not support this and does not
receive anything from this," Champagne said in a news release.

"The Vernon Police Union does solicit money every couple of years and
does this strictly by mail with a local return address," Champagne
said.

Anyone who is asked to donate to the local DARE program should
contact Vernon Police, he added.