ENDING D.A.R.E. MORE COSTLY IN THE LONG RUN

I am sickened that a world-class city can't (or won't) fund the D.A.R.E.
drug-education program. I challenge Police Chief Darrel Stevens to ask one
of his D.A.R.E. officers to send him some of the students' end-of-course
essays. The awareness these 11-year-olds display is amazing. Please don't
stop this worthwhile program.

If we don't fund D.A.R.E. now, in 10 years we will be asking for more police
officers and community social services. It is sometimes cheaper to pay for
preventive maintenance up front than to pay for repairs in the future.

Darryl Mingo

Charlotte