PROGRAM SHOWS COMMUNITIES DARE TO CARE

Municipalities, school boards and RCMP detachments in the Foothills area
have dared to send an important message to local youths - that they care
about them and are willing to do something to enhance their futures.

They also put their money where their mouths are.

We congratulate the Foothills School Division, MD of Foothills, towns of
High River, Okotoks, Black Diamond and Turner Valley, the Village of
Longview and Strathcona-Tweedsmuir school for raising the funds to ensure a
drug prevention program will be taught at local schools for the next three
years.

In a grassroots effort, which is the first of its kind for the Drug Abuse
Resistance Education (DARE) program in Canada, local government agencies
signed an agreement on Sept. 23 to pool their resources to ensure an RCMP
constable is teaching the course to local students for the next three years.

By keeping it at a grassroots level, and not one that is funded from above
by Mr. Klein or Mr. Chretien, the local agencies have sent the message that
the children in this area are their concern and they will take a hands-on
approach to helping them - they are not depending on Big Brother to deliver
this important program.

The DARE program has an RCMP constable instructing students on such issues
as treating others with respect, building students' self-esteem and how to
make wise choices when dealing with drugs and alcohol.

Having a constable teach the course is an important component of the program.

The teachers in the Foothills School Division and Strathcona-Tweedsmuir
school are all capable of teaching the program, but having Mr. Smith stand
in front of the classroom doesn't have the same clout as a police officer.

The constables, who have taken the training to instruct the program, have
first-hand knowledge of the consequences of making bad choices.

But the most important element of having a constable teach the course is it
puts a face to the uniform.

When Const. Geoff Carpenter shares a joke with Senator Riley middle school
students or Const. Stephen Whitworth does the chicken-walk for Cayley
school students, a bond is established between the police and youths.

Twenty-five years ago when a policeman came to a school it was likely
something negative - a fight, a theft or maybe the guy with the Pink Floyd
t-shirt had something more than a slide rule in his locker.

The DARE program has the policeman at schools for positive reasons - not
only to teach them about making smart choices but also that the RCMP care
and are a friend, not a foe.

Students have gained a lot of friends lately as local municipalities and
schools dare to show they care.