The D.A.R.E. program, which was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles, is currently taught in 75 percent of schools in America. The program strives to help kids stay away from drugs and alcohol, as well as help kids see police officers as regular people who are there to help them.
"The proposed cuts to the D.A.R.E. program really involve just moving officers from the D.A.R.E unit back into the districts, so you're not saving any salaries," said John Lindsay of D.A.R.E. America. "And all of the funding for the D.A.R.E supplies, the D.A.R.E workbooks, that comes from law enforcement trust fund money and it also comes from fundraisers."
Authorities are concerned about losing such a well-established substance abuse prevention program. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose Pepe Diaz said that a program like D.A.R.E. is crucial not only now, but for the future.
(Source: www.cbs4.com)
Labels: budget cuts, dare, miami-dade
Posted By: Aspen Education Group