News (Media Awareness Project) - US IL: Loves Park Police Cancel Dare Program |
| Title: | US IL: Loves Park Police Cancel Dare Program |
| Published On: | 2009-07-22 |
| Source: | Rockford Register Star (IL) |
| Fetched On: | 2009-07-24 17:38:30 |
LOVES PARK POLICE CANCEL DARE PROGRAM
LOVES PARK Budget constraints will cost the Loves Park Police
Department its DARE program.
The department will not continue its Drug Abuse Resistance Education
program in schools this fall. The program brings an officer into the
classroom to help students learn how to deal with the pressures
associated with drugs and violence.
Its not because of the program itself, Loves Park Police Chief Pat
Carrigan said. We believe in it, we think its important, we just
dont have the luxury to right now to be able to assign an individual
to be able to handle that any longer.
Officials have explored ways to reduce costs as sales-tax revenues,
the greatest single source of income for the city, have dropped over
the past year.
If things would have been better (economic times) we wouldnt even
have been talking about this now, Mayor Darryl Lindberg said. But we
have to be good stewards of the money and this is the right thing to
do.
The departments DARE officer, Randy Jones, will be transferred to a
vacant position on patrol. Jones had been the citys DARE officer
since 1998, Carrigan said. He taught the DARE course in Loves Park
Elementary, Maple Elementary, Rock Cut Elementary, Windsor Elementary,
and St. Bridgets Catholic School, Lindberg said.
The citys Civil Service Commission had conducted interviews in June
to fill an open patrol spot, but there will no longer be an outside
hire for that position, Carrigan said.
I think it is more important right now to make sure our patrol staff
is up to strength, Lindberg said.
The cut could save the city around $75,000, Lindberg said. A starting
officer makes $42,769 this year, not including benefits.
Dropping DARE programs isnt unfamiliar to police departments around
the Rock River Valley.
For example, the Belvidere Police Department was forced to eliminate
its DARE program in 2004 after serving children since 1988.
Police Chief Jan Noble said the need for officers to respond to the
growing influx of calls for service outweighed the need for the
program. He noted that the department stepped up its community
policing and outreach programs during the same time with the help of
grant money.
Roscoe police Chief Jamie Evans, who has served as a DARE officer,
said the departments DARE program took a one-year hiatus in 2007 but
was revived with financial assistance from the village, Kinnikinnick
School District and donations.
LOVES PARK Budget constraints will cost the Loves Park Police
Department its DARE program.
The department will not continue its Drug Abuse Resistance Education
program in schools this fall. The program brings an officer into the
classroom to help students learn how to deal with the pressures
associated with drugs and violence.
Its not because of the program itself, Loves Park Police Chief Pat
Carrigan said. We believe in it, we think its important, we just
dont have the luxury to right now to be able to assign an individual
to be able to handle that any longer.
Officials have explored ways to reduce costs as sales-tax revenues,
the greatest single source of income for the city, have dropped over
the past year.
If things would have been better (economic times) we wouldnt even
have been talking about this now, Mayor Darryl Lindberg said. But we
have to be good stewards of the money and this is the right thing to
do.
The departments DARE officer, Randy Jones, will be transferred to a
vacant position on patrol. Jones had been the citys DARE officer
since 1998, Carrigan said. He taught the DARE course in Loves Park
Elementary, Maple Elementary, Rock Cut Elementary, Windsor Elementary,
and St. Bridgets Catholic School, Lindberg said.
The citys Civil Service Commission had conducted interviews in June
to fill an open patrol spot, but there will no longer be an outside
hire for that position, Carrigan said.
I think it is more important right now to make sure our patrol staff
is up to strength, Lindberg said.
The cut could save the city around $75,000, Lindberg said. A starting
officer makes $42,769 this year, not including benefits.
Dropping DARE programs isnt unfamiliar to police departments around
the Rock River Valley.
For example, the Belvidere Police Department was forced to eliminate
its DARE program in 2004 after serving children since 1988.
Police Chief Jan Noble said the need for officers to respond to the
growing influx of calls for service outweighed the need for the
program. He noted that the department stepped up its community
policing and outreach programs during the same time with the help of
grant money.
Roscoe police Chief Jamie Evans, who has served as a DARE officer,
said the departments DARE program took a one-year hiatus in 2007 but
was revived with financial assistance from the village, Kinnikinnick
School District and donations.
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