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handles the paperwork, research and analysis of vehicle maintenance. Other non-sworn <br />assistance might be in the form of police reservists. Ramsey's reserve unit faded away a <br />number of years ago due to lack of interest and manpower for training. Now Anoka <br />County offers the training. Reservists, if carefully trained and closely monitored, might <br />be able to assist in mediating disputes between neighbors or distributing crime prevention <br />information. Several people cautioned that the public may not have as much confidence <br />in non-sworn personnel as they would in a police officer. Others expressed concern about <br />becoming reliant on volunteers and neglecting to maintain adequate staffing in the <br />department. <br /> <br />DARE/school liaison <br />DARE, the Drug Awareness and Resistance program for elementary school students, <br />received high marks from most people interviewed. Many people remarked that more <br />effort is dedicated to this effort in Ramsey than in many other communities. Although it <br />was noted by some that there is no conclusive proof about the effectiveness of the <br />program, and there has even been some evidence of ineffectiveness, as one person said, <br />"Even if we can't prove it helps, it (positive interactions with a police officer in the <br />classroom) can't hurt." Other people noted that after participating in DARE children are <br />more likely to interact with all uniformed officers, not just the one who taught them. <br /> <br />Ail the officers agreed that DARE is extremely popular with the public and for that <br />reason, should not be reduced. It should not be expanded either, because as a number of <br />them pointed out, assigning an officer to DARE for six months of the year leaves patrol <br />short-handed. This translates to a lack of backup in responding to dangerous calls and to <br />restricted time-off options for everyone. One solution, they suggest, is to have the DARE <br />officer be someone who is not part of the patrol unit, but assigned to other duties during <br />the other six months of the year. Some people suggested that during the summer, when <br />there is a significant increase in the department's work load, the DARE officer could give <br />much needed assistance in investigations. The down side of this proposal is that it <br />eliminates the opportunity for patrol officers to rotate through the investigations unit. <br /> <br />There is some concern about the future of the DARE program inasmuch as there are <br />currently only two officers who are trained as DARE officers. Everyone agrees that in <br />order to be successful in DARE, an officer must really want to do it and right now no one <br />is interested to the extent they want to receive the training. If one or both of the current <br />DARE officers is unable or unwilling to continue his role, the program may be in <br />jeopardy. Perhaps one of the preferred qualifications for the City's next patrol officer <br />hired should be an interest in participating in DARE. <br /> <br />Ramsey doesn't currently participate in a school liaison program. There are school <br />liaisons, police officers whose salaries are paid in part by the school district, in the middle <br />schools and high schools attended by Ramsey students. Several of the interviewees noted <br />the importance of finding ways to continue into the teenage years the positive relationship <br />4 <br /> <br /> <br />