DARE program axed

RCMP have issued a statement upon cancelling the DARE program.

Several weeks ago, Kelowna RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon was faced with a difficult decision regarding funding and resource allocation for the Kelowna RCMP detachment. The police budget is being reviewed and Supt. McKinnon has asked for a significant increase in resources. In reviewing our ongoing programs it was decided that given the resource pressures presently being experienced, that we could no longer continue to teach the DARE program and would re-allocate the position to our Serious Crime Unit. Supt. McKinnon feels that the prevention program has been beneficial to the students and to our detachment, but it was a "nice to have, rather than a have to have".

The DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program has been in Kelowna for 11 years. Schools and Grade 5 students have welcomed our members into their classrooms to spend time helping the students make healthy choices. Although there is no hard core statistics to prove DARE to be effective, it is a prevention tool that police forces all over the world use. It is but one tool that police agencies have.

The funding required for the members to teach the program has been re-allocated to the detachment Serious Crime Unit which deals with major cases like homicides.

Supt. McKinnon is committed to bringing an alternate program into the schools and feels that it is necessary to help our students make healthy choices and for our members to maintain a positive relationship with our youth. The detachment will work closely over the next couple of months to develop and organize a program for use in Kelowna schools.

The schools within Kelowna Rural area will finish off their classes in this school year and then will benefit with the alternative program for next school year. This decision was made by School District 23 in consultation with the Kelowna RCMP.

Supt. McKinnon is not available for comment. However, Inspector Cam Forgues says that " We are supportive of the DARE program and the benefits it provides to our youth and to our detachment. It’s a difficult decision to make, but is necessary to re-allocate the funds from the program into our homicide investigations. Our detachment is committed to bringing forth an alternate program that will involve fewer resources and yet still effective in our schools." He also adds that "our detachment is just tapped out and we have to make cutbacks within".

If you are wanting any further details or information, please direct your inquiries to me. I have been a DARE officer for 11 years and am sad to see Kelowna lose the DARE program, however I am excited at being part of the new alternate program and staying in our schools. Youth are a priority and it’s where we need to be. It won’t be for 10 lessons per classroom, but it will be a couple of visits by a police officer who will present an effective, efficient lesson about making healthy choices when it comes to drugs.