DARE PROGRAM CONTINUES DESPITE OFFICER'S ARREST

Norwalk, Ia. Warren County sheriff's Deputy Randy Spurr will take over
the Norwalk drug education classes taught by suspended police Officer Alex
Betts, school officials said Thursday.

Betts, 24, faces misdemeanor charges for allegedly assaulting a woman in a
Windsor Heights bar and interfering with officers during his arrest Monday.

Until Betts' legal issues are resolved, he is suspended with pay from his
duties as school liaison officer and Norwalk's Drug Abuse Resistance
Education officer.

His predecessor, Thomas Nolan, was fired after being arrested for
possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in April 1999. Spurr also
took over Nolan's DARE classes in 1999.

He has taught children to resist peer pressure, make good choices and avoid
the dangers of substance abuse for seven years.

Spurr will use the problems Betts faces to teach a lesson.

"I'll just relate it to the DARE program," Spurr said. "I'll tell them
everybody is human and everybody makes mistakes. There are difficult
choices you have to make and there are consequences."

School board President Tom Phillips agreed that children can learn from the
officer's situation.

"I think one thing we can do is explain to kids that nobody is perfect and
that people make mistakes, and that the mistakes of one person can affect a
lot of other people. . . . Maybe even hold (Betts) up as an example of why
you shouldn't do these things."

Spurr said he learned how to help children cope from his previous
experience as Norwalk's replacement DARE officer.

"It's a little bit hard for them to understand. They ask why and how that
could happen," Spurr said. "It will take some of them some time, but I
think they will be able to go on and deal with this."

Norwalk City Council members Dave Hixenbaugh and Tom Greteman said they see
no reason for the drug education program to end.

"What the kids are learning is what counts. It's not the messenger,"
Hixenbaugh said.

"To stop it at this point would be adding one unfortunate thing to another.
The kids would be doubly penalized."

"I think the police department working closely with the school is very
important," Greteman said. "Whether you call it DARE or something else,
educating our children about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse is
important."

Norwalk schools Superintendent Tom Fish said Police Chief Ed Kuhl will also
teach some drug education classes.

Fish believes the program can continue successfully, but said he hopes for
more consistency with teachers.

"This may be another black eye for the city, but I think we'll get past
this," Fish said.