Towns County
Sheriff's Office
Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Chris Clinton
D.A.R.E./SRO
| Sgt. Darren Jones, D.A.R.E./School Resource Officer |
A Worthy Program
The D.A.R.E. program was implemented into the Towns County School system
in 1997 by Sheriff Rudy Eller. Initially the D.A.R.E. program was financed by
grants from the state of Georgia for a period of three years. After the grants
expired the program was continued and was supported financially by the
Sheriff's Office along with the Towns County School Board.
The D.A.R.E. program gives kids the life skills they need to avoid involvement
with drugs, gangs, and violence. The program has been in effect for many years,
but recently “revamped” and updated to include more current statistics and
updated information and graphics to make it more appealing to kids.
The D.A.R.E. program examines the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco and
other drugs such as inhalants and marijuana, and explains what can happen if
you try these drugs and what their long-term effects are. The D.A.R.E. program
also addresses the different types of peer pressure and friendships, and teaches
children how to recognize a true friend over someone who may be deceptive
and not a true friend.
Before each class, students have an opportunity to submit questions to the
“D.A.R.E. BOX,” where they can ask questions about D.A.R.E. material, law
enforcement, or something that’s concerning them. There is a question and
answer session before each class, but kids can also submit questions
anonymously. Sometimes Sgt. Jones answers the questions confidentially in a
one-on-one format.
The D.A.R.E. program is consistent everywhere in the country. The message of
how D.A.R.E. was developed is so important that it needs to be continually
taught in order to have the greatest impact on the kids.
There is a D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony at the end of the program. “It’s real
big and real special for the children because they work really hard and the essay
winners have an opportunity to read their reports to the school after which we
pass out the awards certificates.” Sgt. Jones said. “The best thing for me is
when I read their reports and see how much they really learned from the
D.A.R.E. program.”
In order to graduate from D.A.R.E., the children complete a planner and write a
D.A.R.E. essay, where they can write all the things that they have learned. They
also do a pledge at the end of the program to stay drug-free.
Sgt. Jones gets a lot of satisfaction out of the Towns County D.A.R.E. program.
“It’s my chance to get out there and enjoy the job and have a positive
interaction with the students.” Sgt. Jones explained, “Having the D.A.R.E.
program is a great benefit to allow the children to interact with a Sheriff’s
deputy on a regular basis.”
“I try to give them all the positive interaction I can with me,” said Sgt. Jones,
“to let them know it is not all about taking people to jail. It is about having a
positive impact on lives and helping people”.
The D.A.R.E. program was implemented into the Towns County School system
in 1997 by Sheriff Rudy Eller. Initially the D.A.R.E. program was financed by
grants from the state of Georgia for a period of three years. After the grants
expired the program was continued and was supported financially by the
Sheriff's Office along with the Towns County School Board.
The D.A.R.E. program gives kids the life skills they need to avoid involvement
with drugs, gangs, and violence. The program has been in effect for many years,
but recently “revamped” and updated to include more current statistics and
updated information and graphics to make it more appealing to kids.
The D.A.R.E. program examines the harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco and
other drugs such as inhalants and marijuana, and explains what can happen if
you try these drugs and what their long-term effects are. The D.A.R.E. program
also addresses the different types of peer pressure and friendships, and teaches
children how to recognize a true friend over someone who may be deceptive
and not a true friend.
Before each class, students have an opportunity to submit questions to the
“D.A.R.E. BOX,” where they can ask questions about D.A.R.E. material, law
enforcement, or something that’s concerning them. There is a question and
answer session before each class, but kids can also submit questions
anonymously. Sometimes Sgt. Jones answers the questions confidentially in a
one-on-one format.
The D.A.R.E. program is consistent everywhere in the country. The message of
how D.A.R.E. was developed is so important that it needs to be continually
taught in order to have the greatest impact on the kids.
There is a D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony at the end of the program. “It’s real
big and real special for the children because they work really hard and the essay
winners have an opportunity to read their reports to the school after which we
pass out the awards certificates.” Sgt. Jones said. “The best thing for me is
when I read their reports and see how much they really learned from the
D.A.R.E. program.”
In order to graduate from D.A.R.E., the children complete a planner and write a
D.A.R.E. essay, where they can write all the things that they have learned. They
also do a pledge at the end of the program to stay drug-free.
Sgt. Jones gets a lot of satisfaction out of the Towns County D.A.R.E. program.
“It’s my chance to get out there and enjoy the job and have a positive
interaction with the students.” Sgt. Jones explained, “Having the D.A.R.E.
program is a great benefit to allow the children to interact with a Sheriff’s
deputy on a regular basis.”
“I try to give them all the positive interaction I can with me,” said Sgt. Jones,
“to let them know it is not all about taking people to jail. It is about having a
positive impact on lives and helping people”.
| What is D.A.R.E.? Drug, Abuse, Resistance, Education |
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