DARING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Anti-Drug Program Reaching Local Youth

PALESTINE -- Last summer after his request for additional street
deputies was denied, Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor faced some
difficult decisions concerning the utilization of his agency's resources.

His primary goal was to increase patrol, but with the rejection of his
2007 budget request, those bodies would have to come from his existing
staff.

The sheriff's dilemma? Which positions -- and possibly programs -- to
eliminate to get more deputies on the street.

Initially, Taylor indicated he would likely cut the positions of his
agency's DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and K-9 officers,
shifting those employees to patrol positions.

Ultimately, however, the sheriff opted to get more patrol deputies on
the street by eliminating two courthouse security positions.

"I just couldn't take DARE away from the children of this county,"
Taylor said in mid-October. "That's the last proactive part of this
office that I have at this time."

The fruits of that decision were on display Friday in a pair of
Anderson County school districts as separate DARE "graduation"
ceremonies were held for fifth graders in the Elkhart Independent
School District and at Palestine's Story Elementary School.

During those ceremonies, fifth graders completing the DARE program
received a certificate and T-shirt.

Fifth graders in the Neches and Slocum independent school districts
held their graduation ceremonies last week.

All seven public school districts in Anderson County participate in
the DARE program, according to Taylor.

Four of those school districts conducted their program during the
first half of the school year, while the remaining three will have
their training the final half.

Westwood, Frankston and Cayuga kick off their DARE training this
month.

During the program, longtime Anderson County sheriff's deputy Pat
Douthit-Green, the county's DARE officer, conducts classes once a week
for 45 minutes, teaching the fifth graders about negative consequences
associated with drug and alcohol abuse, smoking, bullying and other
forms of bad decision making.

"Unfortunately, in some home situations," Taylor said, "this may be
the only time that people tell children about drugs, crime and bad
behavior.

"DARE is a great interaction between children and law enforcement,"
the sheriff continued. "It puts law enforcement in a positive light
with the kids."

DARE is currently taught in 75 percent of the nation's school
districts and a total of 43 countries, according to the organization's
Web site. The program is not without its critics nationwide, many of
whom claim it is an ineffective program which wastes taxpayer dollars.

"There's critics of every program," Taylor stated. "Some people would
try to tell you that statistics say DARE doesn't work...If it just
keeps one child off of drugs, away from bad behavior and out of jail,
it's worth it. We can't save everyone, but we can try."