Chesterfield Police Would Have Continued D.A.R.E.

Like several other local police departments, Chesterfield police won't be participating in a Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (D.A.R.E.) program in Rockwood schools next year.

But Lt. Steve Lewis, spokesman for the Chesterfield Police, said reports that Rockwood eliminated the D.A.R.E. program because Chesterfield Police were not able to participate aren't entirely accurate.

Lewis said he met with Rockwood administration in January to discuss the Chesterfield Police Department's involvement in D.A.R.E. going forward.

Personnel changes meant that another officer would need to attend the two-week training program to teach the D.A.R.E. curriculum. If Rockwood wanted to continue the D.A.R.E. program, Chesterfield Police would send an officer to training, Lewis said.

But, there was another option.

"We said we were at a crossroads at making a decision as to how we can best use our officers," Lewis said. "If you're a D.A.R.E. officer, you're the only one that can teach that curriculum. That locks us into one or two officers."

He said he told Rockwood administrators that the police department would be interested in a different curriculum to teach students about the dangers of drug abuse—one that applied to more than just fifth graders and would allow the department to use more than one specifically trained officer.

"We could use all kinds of officers with specialties, and do different classes," Lewis said. The department has worked with  to develop drug-abuse prevention curriculum there. 

Lewis said the members of the Rockwood Drug-Free Coalition and curriculum administrators he met with said they were interested in that approach.

Since , Rockwood has said it will continue drug abuse education. Kim Cranston, the district's chief communications officer, said students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be , which will invite police and other experts to talk about drug prevention, safety, bullying, peer pressure, citizenship and community service.

Lewis said he's met with Rockwood administrators twice to begin developing a curriculum that will be taught in more than just fifth grade and allows several police officers to participate.

The Chesterfield Police Department will continue to D.A.R.E. program at Ascension Catholic School, Lewis said. The department will only have one D.A.R.E.-trained officer next year.

Editor's Note: This response from Chesterfield's Lt. Lewis was received by Chesterfield Patch editor Rachel Heaton while the Eureka-Wildwood Patch editor, Julie Brown Patton, was attending tonight's Rockwood School District board of education meeting. A full account of what occurred at the board meeting will be reported.