Dare Officer Plans Forum To Present Program’s Success

In response to criticism that the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program is ineffective, Coeur d’Alene’s DARE officer is planning a public meeting to present the program’s successes.

The program is scheduled for 6 p.m., Jan. 8 in the Lake City High School auditorium.

DARE officer Mark Knapp said he decided to give the presentation because of recent negative media coverage of DARE.

Four law enforcement agencies in Kootenai County employ DARE officers, who visit schools to teach kids how to avoid drugs. In Coeur d’Alene, the program is taught in the fifth grade.

The city of Spokane eliminated its DARE program this year for budgetary reasons.

, DataTimes