VOLUNTEERS: COP DADS DARE TO LEND A HAND

An Anti-drug Program Taught By The Langley Rcmp Has Been Cut Back Due To
Lack Of Resources, But Two Police Officers Who Happen To Be Local Dads Have
Stepped In To Help.

They are police officers who work to fight crime and help keep their
communities safe.

But they are also dads who care about their kids.

Two police officers are volunteering to teach the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education program at Langley schools.

Cpl. Tom James, who works in Coquitlam, has volunteered to teach DARE at
St. Catherine's School, and Cpl. Warren Tomalty of the RCMP's E Division
has been presenting the program to James Hill Elementary School kids for
the past four years.

"They are just great guys," said Langley RCMP Cpl. Laurie Jalbert,
coordinator for the detachment's school resource section. "Their efforts
are so appreciated."

Last year, the RCMP took on a major project when it offered DARE - a
program that helps youngsters learn self-esteem and resist drugs, alcohol,
and peer pressure - to all grade five students in Langley.

"We try to look at prevention," said Jalbert. "The idea is to reach them
and give them the tools they need to say no."

Last year, five school resource officers and Jalbert worked on the DARE
program, which they said was a great success.

They also raised the $20,000 needed to fund the program, and provide kids
with materials such as a workbook, T-shirt, and DARE graduation certificate.

However, when a review was conducted at the end of the school year, Jalbert
said, police found that Langley high schools had been "severely neglected"
at the cost of the elementary school program.

"It was new, something we were trying," Jalbert said of DARE. "But it was a
bigger bite than we could chew at the time."

This year, DARE was cut by a third, and lost a third of its manpower.
Meetings were held with schools to determine which were most in need of the
program, and priorities were set.

"Some were more at risk than others," said Jalbert, while others have "more
parental support."

A number of private schools were cut from the program, including St.
Catherine's.

"They are an awesome school," said Jalbert, but she learned that the school
was disappointed about losing DARE.

That's when Cpl. James stepped in.

He has a child at St. Catherine's, and is at the school once a week as a
volunteer. He offered to teach the DARE program free of charge, on his days
off.

"We're really happy he's doing it for us," said Jalbert, who made the
materials available to James last week.

It means a lot to the school, and the parents.

"We were thrilled about it," said Carmen Mirchandani, whose son took DARE
last year. "When my son went through it, he came home with a lot of
positive reinforcement.

"The students here at St. Catherine's School greatly benefited from all
that they learned," said Mirchandani, who has two younger children she
hopes will go through the program. "As parents we are grateful that our
children are taught the importance of how they can live a healthy life by
resisting pressures and staying drug free."

Mirchandani commended James for volunteering to teach the program, which
will take 17 weeks.

Jalbert noted that Walnut Grove resident and RCMP Cpl. Tomalty has been
offering DARE to James Kennedy Elementary for four years.

"He does it on his own time," she said. "These guys are great."

DARE is holding a gala dance and fundraiser, Nov. 2, at the Westin Bayshore
in Vancouver.