DARE IN DARGAVILLE STILL WITHOUT POLICE PRESENCE

Dargaville has failed to attract a police youth education officer, despite
offering a housing incentive.

The position has been vacant for six months, placing DARE work in limbo,
but there were hopes that recent advertisements would resolve the impasse.

Three weeks ago Northland police media liaison officer Richard Storey was
optimistic the job would be filled by the advertising shut-off date, but on
Monday Dargaville?s Senior Sergeant Jack Dudley said no applications had
eventuated.

He had since heard of a belated interest but was unsure what the next move
would be if this did not bear fruit.

"One option could be to re-advertise for an officer working from Whangarei.

?That would cut numbers here but at the end of the day our schools would be
getting resourced. Or possibly there could be incentives offered as
happened when our numbers were down."

Kauri Coast DARE chairman Derek Weston is not impressed, "particularly
after the positive comments."

He and MP John Carter hope to meet Northland police boss Viv Rickard and
also liaise with other Northland DARE committees to gain "regional clout"
in a push for resources.

Mr Weston rejected the idea of a Whangarei education officer saying the
person needed to be Dargaville based to know the children and families he
or she was dealing with.

In fact, Dargaville may be the only place in this situation according to
DARE national trustee Stewart Skeet who visited last week.

Wairoa was faced with a similar problem but an officer had recently been
appointed.

Mr Skeet said two elections ago the government emphasised drugs education
in at-risk areas, especially Northland and the East Coast. But Northland
still lacked police resources.

Nationally 40,000 children were taking part in the "Dare to make a choice"
programme and DARE's website recorded 42,000 hits each month.

Mr Skeet said DARE also had a role "putting a police uniform into
classrooms so kids" experience with police is positive.

"It is a real concern that areas like Dargaville are unable to deliver
through lack of police resources," he said.