DRUG RESOURCE OFFICERS PLACED IN COUNTY SCHOOLS

With cooperation between the Escambia County Sheriff's Department and the
Escambia County Board of Education, the county middle schools will have new
resource officers this year.

County Deputies Adam Johnson, Larry Smith and Shaun Golden attended
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and S.R.O. (School Resource
Officer) training in Oklahoma City, Okla. in June. Johnson will be at
Flomaton Middle School, Golden at Atmore Middle School and Smith at W.S.
Neal Middle School.

Funding for the three officers was received from local organizations. The
Escambia County Board of Education provided for one officer, the Escambia
County Commission provided for a second officer and the Finlay Foundation,
Neal Trust and McMillan Trust provided for the third officer. W.S. Neal
Middle School has welcomed deputy Smith and set him up in his own office at
the school.

"We are very excited about having a resource officer here at W.S. Neal
Middle School," Principal Gayle Fountain said. "He will be working with the
fifth graders for the most part, but as the school year progresses we hope
to be able to involve the other grades."

Smith has been in law enforcement since 1971 and served as an officer with
the Brewton Police Department for six years. He then went to Grove Hill
where he served as police chief for seven years. He has been with the
Escambia County Sheriff's Department for 10 years.

"I have worked as a patrol deputy and have also worked in investigation,
with training in child abuse and sexual exploitation," Smith said. "I want
to thank Sheriff Grover Smith for giving me the opportunity to attend the
challenging training to become a certified D.A.R.E. instructor. It is not
only a privilege but also an honor to embark on such a worthy cause for our
future generations.

"I will be teaching the fifth grade curriculum as established by D.A.R.E.
America," he said. "Mrs. Fountain, Mr. Hadaway and the whole school staff
have been very supportive about the new program. If I can keep one child
away from substance abuse, the whole program will be worth it. I would like
to thank Sheriff Grover Smith and Superintendent Melvin Powell for having
the vision to begin this program."Johnson attended Southwest Alabama Police
Academy and began his career with Flomaton Police Department where he was
an officer for two years. He was employed with the East Brewton Police
Department for one year and has been with the Escambia County Sheriff's
Office for 16 months.

Golden's first experience with Law Enforcement was in Conecuh County where
he was a Correctional Officer for one year. He then went to the Andalusia
Police Department for one year before transferring to the Brewton Police
Department. While there, he attended the Montgomery Police Academy. He
stayed with Brewton Police Department for three and a half years and has
been with the sheriff's office for two years.

D.A.R.E. was established in 1983 and is a cooperative program being
conducted by law enforcement and the schools to prevent drug abuse and help
students learn to make healthy decisions. The primary objective is directed
to developing the capacities to enable students to take charge of their
lives with an emphasis on healthy, pro-social decision making skills
regarding non substance use and abuse.