BUDGET WOES KILL ELGIN'S DARE PROGRAM

Elgin's budget crunch has already resulted in city layoffs and
increased fees for residents, but it can claim another casualty: the
Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, program for Elgin Area U-46
District fifth-graders.

Elgin Police Chief Lisa Womack confirmed Wednesday that to help save
on officer overtime, the three DARE officers that serve U-46 middle
schools will be moved back to patrol duty Jan. 1. In early November,
the police union cried foul over this and other reassignments, but
Womack said the cost-cutting moves were just proposals and nothing
was final.

Womack said Monday night the DARE move, along with removing two
officers from the Crime Free Housing Unit and other temporary
reassignments, would save about $200,000 to $250,000. She said the
move was needed to focus on "core services." School liaison officers
for high schools will remain.

Womack said she notified U-46 officials of the move before
Thanksgiving and acknowledged she has since received angry e-mails
from several fifth-grade teachers. She predicted the department would
eventually reinstate another prevention program if funding becomes
available in coming years.

"It was time to evolve from DARE to something else anyway," Womack
said before the city council approving its $276 million budget for
2009.