D.A.R.E.: KEEP PROGRAM

I have been paying attention to the difficult financial position that
Chandler is dealing with and some of the cuts that are being
recommended. I appreciate the fact that the city is offering voluntary
separation packages again to employees and many have accepted this
opportunity, so hopefully there won't need to be layoffs.

I have always been a huge supporter of public safety and keeping the
citizens of Chandler safe. I read in the newspaper last week about the
crime rates going down based on our population. Congratulations to our
police chief Sherry Kiyler and her department.

As the city looks to make further cuts to the budget, one of the
programs on the chopping block is the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance
Education) program in public schools. This would be a big mistake.
This program is yet another tool our police department uses to deter
future crimes in our city by starting to educate at such a young age.

As a Chandler school board member for 7 1/2 years and a Chandler city
councilmember for 8 years, I have always supported and valued the
importance of this program to our youngsters. Not only does the
D.A.R.E. officer teach the tools to resist illegal drugs, but they
teach conflict resolution, role-modeling and self-management skills to
list a few. Important as well is the fact that police officers are on
our school campuses to help provide a safe environment for our children.

D.A.R.E. is a very important program for our schools and their
families and I believe it would be a big mistake to eliminate it. If
elected to the Chandler city council, I will continue to support
D.A.R.E. or other drug resistance education programs.

Donna Wallace, Chandler