LOCAL D.A.R.E. STUDENTS NOW READY TO SAY 'NO'

But Are Future Classes in Jeopardy?

NORTH PORT -- Toledo Blade Elementary School just completed the last
five of this year's D.A.R.E. classes, the popular anti-drug and
alcohol program taught by North Port police officers.

Many in North Port are hoping they won't be the last D.A.R.E. classes
ever. But funding recommendations by the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement may put future D.A.R.E. classes in jeopardy.

Toledo Blade was the only North Port school that required a second
round of D.A.R.E. classes this year. The School Resource Officer
there, Chris Maki, said, "There were too many fifth-graders here for
me to teach them all last fall, so I had five classes in winter."

The classes, taught over a 10-week period, follow a set curriculum
from the national D.A.R.E. America headquarters. They teach students
strategies to avoid peer pressure, and children learn how drugs,
alcohol and gang activity can be harmful. Through role-playing,
students learn different approaches that will help them in middle and
high school.

The importance of the D.A.R.E. program is underscored by the
attendance Wednesday of Special Agent Kevin A. Sapp, the FDLE
Regional D.A.R.E. Coordinator. He is also past president of the
Florida D.A.R.E. Officers Association. His job is to ensure the
certified D.A.R.E. officers are teaching the curriculum correctly so
that all Florida schools using the program will be consistent.

"I love to come to North Port and watch the SROs teaching the
classes," he said. "You have some excellent and dedicated officers
here, and it's always good to see them interacting with the children like this.

"One strength of the D.A.R.E. program is in building community
relationships," he said.

Along with Sapp, SRO Sean Viara, Sgt. Scott Graham, and captains
Robert Estrada and Kevin Vespia also attended the ceremony, as did
city commissioners Barbara Gross, Fred Tower III and Jim Blucher.

Is D.A.R.E. in Jeopardy Here?

According to Graham, who oversees the SROs and the D.A.R.E. program
as part of his duties at the North Port Police Department, North Port
wants to begin using the middle school D.A.R.E. classes next year.

"We realize you have to keep getting the message to kids, and they
are becoming vulnerable in middle school," he said. Several national
studies have emphasized the need to renew the lessons in middle
school, while kids are still reachable.

But the FDLE's budget proposals for 2008-2009 might undermine North
Port's ability to continue the D.A.R.E. program. According to FDLE
spokeswoman Heather Smith, next year's budget cuts out $400,000 for D.A.R.E.

"That includes five staff members, and the training classes," she
explained. The five staff members, if cut, would probably not lose
their jobs, but could transfer to other FDLE offices.

Currently, the FDLE's budget is $289,069,672. The proposed 2008-09
budget is $278,136,586, almost an $11 million cut.

The training budget cuts, however, could mean the end of D.A.R.E. in
Florida. That is because, at present, the FDLE is the only agency
certified to provide D.A.R.E. training in the state. And in order to
teach the classes, an officer must be certified through an officially
sanctioned training course.

"If FDLE did not provide the training," Sapp said, "officers still
could go somewhere else to get that training. But they would have to
go out-of-state, if no other group in Florida had authorization."

Smith said there may be other groups interested in picking up
D.A.R.E. training authority, although none has stepped forward as of yet.

But the bottom line, said Graham, is that if SROs cannot get training
in-state, "it could be too expensive to send people out-of-state for
their classes."

SRO Sean Viara, also a D.A.R.E. teacher, hopes the program is not
lost in Florida. "If we keep even just one child from using drugs,
isn't that a worthwhile investment?"

To view the FDLE's proposed budget, visit
www.thepeoplesbudget.state.fl.us, choose "View Budget By Agency" at
the bottom, and select Law Enforcement.

To voice your view on the proposed budget, you can contact your state
senator and representative, and the governor's office.