Charles County officers complete D.A.R.E. training
Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry announced last week the graduation of three school resource officers from the 35th Maryland D.A.R.E. Officer Training class recently held at the Maryland Public Safety Education and Training Center in Sykesville.
Pfc. Jennifer Brown, Pfc. Stefan Hillman and Pfc. Shawn Joffe were among officers from across the region to complete the two-week, 80-hour certification course to become some of the nation’s newest D.A.R.E. instructors, according to a sheriff’s office press release.
D.A.R.E., short for drug abuse resistance education, is a community-based, nationwide program which links law enforcement, schools and parents in a partnership to educate children about the dangers of drugs, gangs and violence, according to the release. The class is taught by police officers who present information to children in a classroom environment, providing skills on how to resist drugs and how to build resiliency to staying away from drugs. The program also includes discussions on bullying, internet safety, cyber-bullying, and prescription drug abuse. D.A.R.E. instructors are certified to deliver programs to students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
In Charles County, school resource officers are assigned to every public high school and middle school on a full-time basis. These officers are also responsible for interacting with students at they county’s elementary schools.
“We are committed to ensuring safety in our schools as well as mentoring the youth in Charles County,” Berry (D) said in the press release. “Our school resource officers play a critical role in that endeavor, and teaching D.A.R.E. is one important tool they use. We hope this impacts the students and gives them something to think about when faced with tough choices in school and throughout life.”