CITY MOVES TO RESTART DARE

Council Votes 6-1 To Examine Funding, Including Possible Surcharges
On Alcohol Sale, Abuse

LONG BEACH - The City Council voted Tuesday to find a way to restart
the police department's DARE program for children, possibly through
new surcharges that would affect some businesses and drug and alcohol abusers.

Under Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske's proposal, two surcharges would
be established: one on towing services when a vehicle owner has been
cited for alcohol or drug use, and another on business licenses for
businesses that sell alcohol, tobacco or spray paint. The towing
surcharge could range from $10 to $25, while the business license
surcharge would be $1 to $2, according to a report from Schipske's office.

The council voted 6-1, with Councilman Gary DeLong opposed, to have
city staff report back on the feasibility of the proposal. Council
members Suja Lowenthal and Tonia Reyes Uranga were absent.

Betty-Jean Thompson, president of the Long Beach DARE's board of
directors, said outside the meeting that the council had made a
meaningful decision.

DARE, which stands for Drug Awareness Resistance Education, teaches
children about good decision-making and also gives them a personal
connection with police officers, she said.

"A lot of kids never know how to deal with a situation unless they
role play in that situation," Thompson said.

However, some council members said they were concerned about whether
DARE fits the needs of Long Beach students.

Addressing two local and regional representatives of DARE who were
at the meeting, Councilwoman Rae Gabelich said she would like DARE to
re-examine its reading materials, which she said can be too complex
for some children.

Councilman Patrick O'Donnell said the city should investigate
combining DARE with other youth programs and should ensure that DARE
is appropriate for the community.

"We need a program that fits Long Beach," O'Donnell said to the DARE
representatives. "I think what you need to do is maybe ... convince
us that the DARE program is the right one for Long Beach."

Dale Brown, regional director of DARE, told the council the program
has supplements beyond the basic program that focus on issues such
as Internet safety, methamphetamines and alcohol.

He said DARE is working on creating an anti-graffiti supplement as
well, something that Schipske had said DARE should incorporate in
its curriculum.

Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal said other information city staff should
also research are what would be the best use for the new funding
sources, and what other funding sources have yet to be tapped.

The money from the surcharges would go to the city's program, better
known as DARE, for one school year. The program could start as soon
as spring, but possibly wouldn't begin until the 2008-09 school
year, police officials have said.

The program was discontinued with the start of the new school year
because of budget constraints.

DARE's nonprofit board has pledged $35,000, but an additional
$13,000 is needed, according to a report from Schipske's office.
DARE's major costs include the salaries of two retired, part-time
police officers who run the program.

The officers work 50 hours a week for 30 weeks of the year to
instruct more than 1,800 Long Beach fifth-grade students, the report says.

Exactly how much money would be raised by the surcharges isn't yet
known, but Schipske said she plans to seek other funding sources as well.