COUNTY CONSIDERING SCHOOL COP PROGRAM

D.A.R.E. Officer Would Visit Rural Schools

Lacombe Globe - The success of the Town of Lacombe's school resource
officer program has prompted Lacombe County to look into having the
program in rural schools.

County council authorized administration to enter into talks with Wolf
Creek School Division to offer the school resource officer program to
schools in Mirror, Alix, Clive, Satinwood, Blackfalds and Eckville.

Lacombe County wants to enter into a policing agreement with the
Alberta Attorney General to provide a full-time RCMP officer for the
program. The position would be funded by the County and the schools
receiving the program.

It takes RCMP about 12 months to set up the position and requires a
minimum three-year commitment.

For now, said County commissioner Terry Hager, the only alternative is
to continue using off-duty RCMP officers to provide programs such as
DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) to rural schools.

That option has been used in Lacombe County since 1999, with funds set
aside to pay overtime to off-duty officers who teach the program.

The drawback is that there's a shortage of officers who want to put
overtime into the program, and few officers are trained for it.

The cost of hiring a full-time RCMP officer is between $75,000 and
$105,000 per year.

The County explored other options to provide DARE and other programs
to rural schools, including hiring a retired officer as a special
constable for the program or continuing to pay for off-duty officers.

Hager said Lacombe County still hasn't entered into talks with the
school division about the program.