D.A.R.E. REINTRODUCED IN YANKTON SCHOOLS

The Yankton Police Department, Yankton School District and Sacred
Heart Schools have renewed their joint effort to keep kids away from
drugs and alcohol by reintroducing the D.A.R.E. program to the local
elementary schools.

Entering into its 19th year of joint education, the D.A.R.E. program
was initially started in Yankton in 1989. Offered nationally to
children in grades k-12, the local program is targeted at the
elementary school-age children, with the fifth grade classes of
Yankton receiving the entire 10-12 week program.

"Without a doubt, this is a good program," Officer Jeff Johnson said.
"A lot of kids I have taught over the years will come back and say
'You taught me about this or that.' That positive feedback is what
keeps me going. Until something better comes along, we will keep
using the D.A.R.E. program. Right now, it is the best program out
there."

Annually, the local D.A.R.E. program graduates more than 300 fifth
graders from the program. The D.A.R.E. Officers also visit with
students in grades k-4, educating them on child safety and prevention
issues. The visits with the younger students affect more than 1,200
students each year.

D.A.R.E., which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, was
founded in 1983 in Los Angeles as a way to help reduce the gang, drug
and alcohol problems that the city was experiencing. Since 1983, the
program has expanded to the point where it is now used in 75 percent
of the school districts in the United States and is used in 43
countries around the world.

There are several reasons the D.A.R.E. program has been so successful
in its goals to reduce drug abuse and increase violence prevention
programs. The national D.A.R.E. Web site says the prorgram humanizes
the police, helping young people to relate to Officers as people.
D.A.R.E. also permits students to see the Officers in a role other
than enforcement, a more helping role.

D.A.R.E. opens lines of communication between youth and Officers. In
addition, Officers can serve as conduits to provide information
beyond drug-related topics from students and also through the school
and parents.

Throughout the 10-12 weeklong course, the fifth-grade students will
receive information on drugs and alcohol and learn decision-making
skills. Officers will show the students positive ways to resist peer
pressure, as well as offer alternatives to drug and alcohol.
Teaching techniques are varied but do include question and answer
sessions, group discussions and workbook exercises.

"The variety of the program is what makes it so great," Johnson said.
"Plus, they keep everything pertinent to what is happening today.
Current lessons include information on the effects of drug and
alcohol abuse, prescription drug abuse, peer pressure - what it is
and how to respond to it - and self esteem issues - specifically how
they affect choices and good decision making."

One visual representation of the local program is the D.A.R.E. car.
Siezed in a routine traffic stop near the Meridian Bridge after drugs
were found in the car, the Yankton Police Department petitioned the
state to have the car returned once the trial was completed. The car,
which was in bad shape when seized, was taken to the Mike Durfee
State Prison in Springfield for restoration work and repainting,
Johnson said.

The Yankton Police Department has four elementary D.A.R.E.
instructors. To be eligible to become D.A.R.E. certified, Officers
must have the training and experience to be able to answer the
questions asked by the local students. They must also undergo 80
hours of special training in areas such as child development,
classroom management, teaching techniques and communication skills.
Two of the Yankton Officers have also attended an additional 40 hours
of training that allows them to teach the curriculum to middle
school-age students. The training does not end there, as all four
Officers must recertify every year by taking an additional 16-20
hours of classes.

Local D.A.R.E. Officers that will be instructing the children
include:

* Officer Greg Shoeberg, who has been involved with D.A.R.E. for at
least 10 years, is junior high-certified and will be teaching the
course at Webster and Sacred Heart Elementary Schools.

* Officer Michael Burgeson, who has been involved with D.A.R.E. for
at least 10 years, is junior high-certified and will be teaching the
course at Stewart Elementary

* Officer Jeff Johnson, has been involved with D.A.R.E. for eight
years, will be teaching the course at Beadle Elementary.

* Officer Jacob Zajic, in his second year of D.A.R.E. involvement,
will be teaching the course at Lincoln Elementary.

More information regarding the D.A.R.E. program and the courses being
taught are available at www.cityofyankton.org/policeDare.htm .