D.A.R.E. CLASSES WON'T BE HELD IN COUNTY

McMinn County students won't be attending D.A.R.E classes this school year
following the announced resignation of the Sheriff's Department's D.A.R.E.
officer.

Deputy Sgt. Brad Lane has served as the Sheriff's Department's D.A.R.E.
officer since the summer of 1999, but Sheriff Steve Frisbie said this
morning Lane has informed the department he intends to take another job.
Frisbie said the departure leaves a gaping hole in the county's D.A.R.E.
program and with no other officers trained to instruct in the program,
county DARE classes will be suspended until next school year.

In 1999, Lane replaced Sgt. Butch Witt, who was the program's original head
when Frisbie and county school leaders first installed the program a year
into Frisbie's first term seven years ago.

In that amount of time, the program has graduated more than 5,000 students
from D.A.R.E.

But Frisbie said he couldn't say whether the D.A.R.E. program will resume
next school year.

"D.A.R.E. chooses the officer, not the other way around," Frisbie said.

Frisbie said state D.A.R.E. officials must approve a department's candidate
for the program before he can become its instructor.

"I've been looking at different SROs (school resource officers) since
they're already in the schools, but they would have to be trained and
certified by the D.A.R.E. program," said Frisbie.

"This caught us at a bad time with the school year started. Training is
usually offered to the officers at the end of the school year during the
summer," he said.

Frisbie noted most of the SROs were funded through a federal grant that
requires the county to pick up funding after the three-year grant period
runs out.

Frisbie said federal funding could be cut if the county fails to pick up
the tab on the officers as required by the grant.

The grant funds positions for three years, but at the end of the term the
county is required by conditions of the grant to commit to the salaries for
at least a year, Frisbie said.

"The county has really cut my budget," Frisbie said. "Next year in April is
when the grant comes up on the SROs. We'll have to see whether we'll retain
them."

Frisbie said the D.A.R.E. program took a hit over the last two years when
the County Commission cut $19,000 from the Sheriff's Department's general fund.

Frisbie said because most of the general fund is already earmarked for
established costs, the only place cuts could be made was in the D.A.R.E.
program.

The County Commission "put funding we'd use in D.A.R.E. and put it in the
jail budget for the raise for the corrections officers," Frisbie said.

According to Frisbie, the Commission approved a $19,000 combined increase
in the yearly salaries of 19 corrections officers.

"But then they spent $19,000 on the pay scale survey on all county
employees," Frisbie said of the Commission's move to establish equal
salaries among everyone on the county payroll.

Frisbie said he'd conducted his own salary survey at the time and didn't
see the additional survey was necessary, as far as his department was
concerned.

Frisbie said continuing budget cuts aimed at his department have created a
"wait and see" atmosphere for the two school-related programs.

"They cut me every way they could and I've not said a word this year,"
Frisbie said. "I understand that this is a critical year and that's why I
didn't say anything. But I got the biggest budget cut of any department -
$124,000 this year.

"So I'm just going to have to wait and see how this year goes," he concluded.

Lane, whose last day with the Sheriff's Department will be Friday, is
taking a position with an Athens financial firm. Lane is also seeking to
return to college.

"One of the other big reasons for leaving is that I got into the ministry
over the summer and I'll be going to Antioch Baptist College in Knoxville
seeking a degree in religious studies," Lane said this morning. "And I've
always had an interest in banking and finances."

Lane said in considering his wife and children, he also wanted to seek a
"less hazardous profession" than police work.

The move comes as a blow to one of his own children, Lane said.

"My son was due to start D.A.R.E. this year and he's really disappointed,"
said Lane. "I regret I won't be able to have him in D.A.R.E. class. But
we'll have our own D.A.R.E. class."

Lane said he wanted to express his appreciation to the parents, students,
teachers, school administrators and the Sheriff's Department for the
opportunity to instruct the D.A.R.E. program.

"I've made a lot of friends," he said. "I've got a lot of mixed emotions
about leaving but, at the same time I'm excited about the future."

Frisbie said he's not ready to throw in the towel on the program, however.

"I like the D.A.R.E. program," said Frisbie. "I've supported it and I
believe in it," he said. "But we've got to see if we're going to get to
continue it."

Frisbie commended Lane on his performance in the position of D.A.R.E.
officer and wished him well in his new job.