OFFICER WORKING TO PREVENT DRUG USE

Deputy Jim Cheever, D.A.R.E. instructor with the Beauregard Parish
Sheriff's Office, spoke at the Human Resource Council meeting on Thursday.
Julie Chainey, social services director at the Beauregard Rehabilitation
Center, hosts the luncheon each month.

"D.A.R.E. is taught primarily to fifth grade students," said Cheever. "The
course is for 17 weeks. We teach fifth grade students because they are
about to enter junior high where they will face enormous peer pressure."
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) began in 1983 in Los Angeles
and was introduced in Beauregard Parish in 1990 by Sheriff Boliver Bishop.
Parents in L.A. had demanded help for children facing violent situations
and drug abuse in public schools.

Cheever said the keys to teaching the program are involved parents,
teachers and police officers. A law enforcement officer must serve two
years before attending classes to train to become a D.A.R.E. officer. Each
year they will attend 12 hours of continuing education classes. "We want to
bridge the gap between police officers and children," said Cheever. "It is
not good for a child to be afraid of the average policeman. We want them to
feel they can approach us. Parents are also an important part of the key
and without them, no program will do any good."

Cheever said unless a child can be reached he will become a statistic. A
child has several sources for help and support including teachers and the
school system. "We give the students a pretest to see what they already
know about drugs, violence, self esteem, cigarettes and making the right
choices," said Cheever. "We use stuffed animals to reach the kids and we
discuss different subjects including sexual abuse. We open a dialog with
the kids. Sometimes there is a problem with parents and we tell them to
speak to grandparents, teachers, counselors, pastors or a D.A.R.E. officer.
If they speak to me at school, by law I have to tell the teacher. We give
them options on who they can go to for help."

Cheever said the students are taught the consequences of drugs and alcohol,
ways to say no, how to handle peer pressure and how to stand up for
themselves. The students perform skits, write essays and are tested on what
they are learning. "Everyone has stress," said Cheever. "The students learn
about good and bad stress, and how to handle the bad. They learn violence
hurts everybody, not just the victim. They learn to make positive choices.
We have a role model class where a high school student with good virtues
will come speak to the kids. They write about how they feel about the
D.A.R.E. program, what they have learned and why they want to remain
drug-free."

Cheever introduced Daren, a stuffed lion, who is the D.A.R.E. mascot. He
chooses one essay per class and that student receives a lion of their own.
All the students receive a T-shirt and certificate upon completing the program.

"Does the program work? Yes it does," said Cheever. "D.A.R.E. is funded by
the tax Louisiana places on cigarettes which is one cent per pack. The
D.A.R.E. program costs four dollars per child in this state. The students
receive a workbook, T-shirt and materials. This cost goes way past four
dollars and the Sheriff kicks in the difference. I pay for candy for the
kids myself, just like teachers buy many things for their classrooms."

The D.A.R.E. officer's help will go past the classroom.

"We direct them to agencies if they need help," said Cheever. "We know
through statistics in Beauregard Parish that many high school students
remember the name of their D.A.R.E. instructor."

Cheever is president of the Louisiana D.A.R.E. Officers Association, and
travels the country speaking about D.A.R.E.

He said although the program is geared for fifth graders, there are
programs for younger students, high school students and parents. He will
instruct students at Pinewood Elementary in February.

The Human Resource Council will meet again at noon on Thursday, Feb. 19 at
the Beauregard Rehabilitation and Retirement Center. Call Julie Chainey,
social services director, at 463-9022 for more information.