The Madison DARE program is
comprised of several dedicated police officers who are trained through an
intensive program. After their training they go into the 5th grade
classes at the public schools as well as St. Vincent's, to begin teaching
the program. Once a week from fall through spring Ptl. Frank Wulff Jr. (DARE Coordinator)
and
Ptl. Wayne
Reed Det. Ed Mitchko, Ptl.
James Cavezza, Det. John Miscia, and Ptl.
Joseph Longo attend the schools and meet with the students, teaching a curriculum
approved by DARE.
DARE stands for Drug Abuse
Resistance Education. It is a drug abuse prevention program designed
to equip students with knowledge about drug abuse, the consequences of
abuse, and the skills for resisting peer pressure to experiment with
drugs, alcohol and tobacco. The DARE program is taught in all 50
states and in 75% of the nations school districts, creating a positive
atmosphere for students to interact with uniformed police officers.
This unique program uses uniformed police officers to teach a formal
curriculum to students in a classroom setting.
DARE lessons focus on four major
areas:
-
Providing accurate
information about drugs alcohol and tobacco
-
Teaching students good
decision-making skills
-
Showing students how to
recognize and resist peer pressure
-
Giving students ideas for
positive alternatives to drugs.
Through a cooperative effort by
the police, schools, parents and the community working together, the
Madison DARE program is helping our children make the right choices
concerning drug use.
At the conclusion of the Madison
DARE program the students are presented with a certificate and T-Shirt
after completing the years work, and writing an essay on the importance
for them to be drug, alcohol and tobacco free. The Madison PBA
also sponsors a graduation trip for the DARE students, paying for an
event as well as transportation to events such as Nets Basketball, Arena
Football or Newark Bears Baseball.
DARE
trip to see Newark Bears
Link to DARE website
