OFFICER MAKING INROADS WITH STUDENTS

Put a police officer in the middle of a classroom of elementary
students and you're bound to get some interesting questions.

This is something Cst. Jeffrey Bond knows firsthand. In 2009, Bond
taught the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program to students
at Malakwa Elementary and this year he's at Parkview.

"I've had a few questions asked of me in the past that were kind of,
'Wow, I wasn't expecting that,'" says Bond with laugh. "One question
that always seems to come up is what is the worst drug. And they list
off every drug that's out there and I say, the worst drug that I think
is the one you're addicted to. and their eyes light up and it's, 'oh,
I never thought of it that way.'"

On his second day at Parkview with a Grade 4/5 split, one of the
perceptive students picks up on the gloves in Bond's back pocket. The
constable explains in a straight but friendly fashion that the gloves
are Kevlar reinforced in case if he has to pick up sharp objects. Bond
says these kinds of questions are usually dealt with on the first day
when he goes over what's on his belt and other questions related to
being a police officer. As for his delivery, it's fitting for the
course material. The focus of DARE is to provide children with the
information and skills needed to live drug and violence free. The
subject matter may be age-appropriate, but is by no means watered
down. In one lesson, students learn about the effects of marijuana on
the body. Other lessons touch on alcohol and tobacco, and being able
to see through the smoke screen of media and advertising.

During a lesson on tobacco, the students are attentive but
comfortable. The fact that there's a police officer in the room giving
a lesson doesn't keep students from the odd distraction or from
letting go with a giggle or two. But this, says Bond, is one of the
benefits of DARE, it allows children to get to know and become
comfortable with their community's police officers.

"It's opened up a door of communication that maybe wouldn't have been
there before," says Bond. "They know who I am, they identify with me,
and they feel more comfortable talking with me about anything. They
tell me about what's going on in their life, in the community and
things like that."

DARE is a 10-week program with nine weeks of courses focusing on
drugs, as well as other subjects such as foundations of friendship and
the effects of peer pressure, providing kids with the DARE model of
decision-making: define, assess, respond and evaluate. In week 10,
students are given a graduation ceremony. But the message of DARE
doesn't end there. Parkview principal Joan Chafe says the lessons of
DARE are part of a personal-planning component in the curriculum, and
that the message continues into high school. It's effectiveness,
however, requires reaching kids at a young age.

"It's one of those proactive programs that we start with kids young,"
says Chafe. "If you wait too late to start talking about drugs,
alcohol, smoking, at that point, do you know that they've already made
their opinions. The program is meant to be really non-judgemental,
just informative for kids at that age."

It would seem that just as soon as the DARE program was up and running
in Sicamous, it's going on hiatus as Bond is being transferred to his
home province, Alberta, and the Provost detachment.

"I have mixed feelings about leaving," says Bond. "It's a nice
community here, there are some excellent people living in the
community. Working with the schools has been fun. But, unfortunately,
all things must change."

As for the DARE program, Bond says the Sicamous detachment is seeking
a new candidate to undergo DARE training and make sure the message
continues to be delivered to future generations.

Asked if he's ever felt nervous having to teach a room full of eager
minds, Bond admits he was a little bit during the first lesson.

"You just kind of get in the swing of it," says Bond. "I enjoy every
minute I spend with these young people."

Bond expects to see this year's DARE students through to graduation,
and doesn't anticipate leaving until after winter.