Nashville, Tennessee --- Twenty-eight new D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officers are now trained and ready to hit the streets after graduating from the D.A.R.E. training program today. Tennessee Highway Patrol D.A.R.E. instructors conduct the two-week, 80-hour class. The 28 officers who completed the course represent 20 Tennessee law enforcement agencies, as well as communities in Virginia, Florida and Ohio.

“The D.A.R.E. program is an important tool in the fight against drug abuse by young people,” said Interim Department of Safety Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “It not only educates children on the consequences of abusing drugs, but also reminds them to be active and take part in keeping their communities drug free.”

D.A.R.E. focuses on responsibility and resistance to peer pressure. It targets communication and refusal skills, decision-making skills and awareness about drugs and health. D.A.R.E. is represented in more than 80% of the school districts in Tennessee and reaches an estimated 50,000 children each year. This year, the Martin Police Department and Rogersville Police Department will add D.A.R.E. programs in their communities.

“This year, we add two new D.A.R.E. programs in Tennessee and 28 new officers,” stated Colonel Walker.  “I am pleased to see such a great interest in D.A.R.E. This program can have a lasting influence on children. The education provided gives a child the knowledge and confidence to make the right choice and say no to drugs.”

Since 1990, THP has conducted 36 D.A.R.E. Training Seminars. The classes have prepared more than 1,000 officers to work with young people on drug education. Tennessee’s D.A.R.E. trainers are also called on regularly to conduct courses for other police agencies across the country, as well as overseas.

THP Sergeant Leonard Moudy, supervisor of the D.A.R.E. Unit, led this year’s D.A.R.E. training. Training staff members were: Trooper Jerry Duncan, District 2, Chattanooga; John Marvin, District 4, Memphis; Mike Skinner, District 1, Knoxville; Scott Staggs, District 7, Lawrenceburg; Darryl Winningham, District 6, Cookeville; Wayne Woodard, District 8, Jackson. Also on the training team was staff educator Lesia Martin from Pickett County Schools and POIII Steve Freeman from the Metro Nashville Police Department.

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is (www.tennessee.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.

D.A.R.E. ROSTER

36th D.A.R.E. OFFICER TRAINING SEMINAR

June 4 - 16, 2006