5.0. SR 01-24-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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OAKDALE *"' City debates DARE program may end nding Studies cast doubt on program's effectiveness HEATHER JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ~fter 10 years of providing anti- drug instruction to fifth-graders, Oakdale is considering dropping the controversial Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. The City Council decided to examine whether to continue DARE as studies questioning its effectiveness surface and cities and school districts do away with the program. The council will discuss the issue during a workshop next week. Several police officers, including one full-time DARE officer, are certified to teach the program in the North St. Paul-Maplewood- Oakdale School District. The council could opt to end the program at the end of this school year or continue it, said Police Chief Bill Sullivan. The council also might determine there is a need for a different type of anti- drug education program, Sullivan said. "It appears that those who have had some sort of success . . . in moving away from DARE are those who also had a plan for alternative programming," he said. Minneapolis Public Schools is eliminating its DARE program for a broader health program. The Rosemount-Eagan-Apple Valley School District also is cutting the program as part of a $6 million savings plan. But Sullivan said that the issue in Oakdale is not related to money. "If the intention with the dis- banding of the DARE program is to save money, the reality is you don't save money," he said. In 1999, the program cost $35,241- covering the DARE officer salary and supplies. The city ended up contributing $22,431 because the school district reim- bursed the city $8,170 for supplies and contributions from local groups totaled $4,640. The school district reimburse- gram were eliminated because..: that officer still would be needed ' for other duties. "The issue is do you want to -~ spend the time and energy on a' ~:. program with no demonstrated long-term benefits," Sullivan said. Recruiting and retaining DARE officers from the police force also is a concern because those who-- take .on the position often like to ' try something else after a year or, .: two, he said. . . Oakdale also is part of a two-. : year University of Minnesota pilot program called DARE PLUS, · which targets seventh-graders and :r involves a community coordinator. Council Member Sherry Timmer-..: mann serves as coordinator. *, That program also might not continue if the council decides to. eliminate DARE. Council Member Kent Dotas. questions the city's involvement in the anti-drug, program. He said. he'd prefer that the school district,.- .. not the police, take on the respon-*. - sibility of funding DARE and pro- viding staff for its instruction. · "I'm really in favor of getting: as many of our police officers on'. the street as possible," he said. .' He also questions the program's... effectiveness. . "I'm really looking for some tangible evidence that it has had.' .' .-' an impact," he said, adding he' doesn't believe the content is-.... appropriate for fifth-graders. Sullivan said he expects the DARE issue to be an emotional ' one for community members,' especially parents who support continuing the program. While SUl-" livan said he doesn't feel strongly about DARE staying or going, he. is concerned about where drug abuse education would come from. · if the council eliminates the pro- gram. ?. "I think you absolutely have to have those eonversations with kids in our society today," he said. "This is not a po/lee issue. It's purely one of instruetion. If (DARE) isn't it, we look at some- thing else.' Z 0 0 0