OFFICERS GRADUATE FROM DARE POSTS

LONGTIME INSTRUCTORS, PRAISED FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO THE DRUG-RESISTANCE
PROGRAM AND TO HINSDALE YOUTHS, SAY CONTINUED MENTORING IS THE KEY TO MAKING
IT EFFECTIVE.

If only skeptics of DARE programs could have been in Pete Jirasek's shoes
when a mother pulled him aside during a recent "graduation" ceremony for her
daughter.

"Her son was one of my students the first year I taught, and he's now in
college," Jirasek said. "And she said, `You have made a big difference in my
son's life.'"

A Hinsdale police sergeant with two children of his own, Jirasek said he
frequently has been moved by positive feedback.

At a recent Hinsdale Village Board meeting, Jirasek and Mark Mandarino again
were on the receiving end of heartfelt thanks from Elementary School
District 181 leaders. Both just concluded extensive tours of DARE (Drug
Awareness Resistance Education) duty, Jirasek after 10 years and Mandarino
after seven.

"These two fine gentlemen have gone way beyond the classroom," said Ann
Mueller, the District 181 school board president.

In an interview later, District 181 Supt. Mary Curley called Jirasek and
Mandarino "natural teachers" who will be difficult to replace.

Officers Mike Coughlin and Erik Bernholdt will take over the DARE duties in
the coming school year.

"Jirasek and Mandarino really made it come to life for our kids. They were
great teachers, great role models," Curley said. "I feel they've touched the
lives of our students in ways you can't measure."

Indeed, the officers befriended pupils in the cafeteria, on the playground
and as chaperons on school trips, such as one to Washington, D.C. They have
become recognizable faces throughout the community, developing a solid
rapport with pupils and parents alike, said school officials.

Their impact has gone beyond retooling the image of police being around only
when there is a crisis or confrontation. Mueller cited a recent study
conducted by the district, which found that more than half of graduating
high school seniors in Hinsdale said they used, and saw peers using,
techniques taught during DARE classes years ago.

While many studies across the nation have questioned the value of DARE
programs, Jirasek, a 17-year veteran of the force, said those typically are
programs that do not have adequate follow-up instruction and mentoring.

In Hinsdale, he and Mandarino have formed a "tag team," as they call it.
Mandarino has taught 5th graders and Jirasek followed up with pupils in 8th
grade.

"It's much more than a one-shot deal," said Jirasek, 40.

Joe Gurak, a longtime Hinsdale police officer who encouraged Jirasek to join
him, was instrumental in the program's formation. In the early 1990s, Gurak
died, and Mandarino was tapped to join Jirasek.

The transition into the classroom was a shock at first for Mandarino. "I
never thought I would be in a position like that," he said. "What keeps you
going is seeing those kids from the beginning of the program to the end."

The sessions last 17 weeks, though pupils have kept in touch, especially to
let the officers know what skills they are using.

Mandarino, 37, has been on the force since 1985. He said he sometimes has
wondered if he could have done more to reach kids who later get into
trouble. More often, though, he has received positive reports.

Mandarino and his family live outside Hinsdale. In the past few years, the
two eldest of his three daughters, Dana, 12, and Gianna, 11, began talking
about the DARE principles they were learning in their classes. Only then did
Mandarino realize the effect he has had on other parents' children, though
he had frequently heard parents relate similar stories about his teachings.

"I couldn't really comprehend that until my daughters were coming home and
doing the same thing," Mandarino said. "You just think, `Yeah, sure, the
kids are talking about you.' I'm seeing it through my kids as well."

In Hinsdale, unlike most school districts, a three-tiered program has been
in place for six years. In addition to the two DARE classes, spaced three
years apart, there is VEGA (Violence Education and Gang Awareness), which
focuses on conflict resolution and awareness of pressures to become involved
in violence. VEGA is taught to 6th graders, a year after the first DARE
class.

DARE also focuses on self-esteem and avoiding unhealthy situations. Jirasek
was gratified when one pupil told him in an evaluation that she knew someone
who, because of the DARE teachings, ended a relationship in which she was
being abused.