Agenda - Council - 08/14/1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I cnsE # I0 REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION IN PROJECT D.A.R.E. By: Michael Auspos, Chief of Police Background: Chief Revering of the Anoka Police Department is requesting that the City of Ramsey participate financially in funding the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program. This project lasts for 14 to 17 weeks, one day a week, with fifth grade students only. The officers who teach this program have received their training through the Illinois State Police at a two week course in Illinois. Anoka has five officers certified. Included in this case is a description of the Project D.A.R.E. concept, its techniques and the letter from Chief Revering. Observation: I wholeheartedly agree with the concept that the "drug war" will be won in education and social restructuring, not in enforcement. While enforcement must continue until this "war" is won, those enforcement efforts by no means are a cure-all for the problem. Until the source for the need to abuse drugs is wipe~out we will continue to try to enforce the laws of prohibition with little headway and much cost. The future of Ramsey is in the youth of today. Our children will, when they become adults, stay in this community or move to another community. Young adults fi.om other communities around the state and perhaps around the nation will come to Ramsey to live. Ideally, we should send out i~.to the world the types of citizens we would hope to welcome from other areas; well adjusted, community minded persons free from drug addiction and problems. Pro,ams such as D.A.R.E., if in fact they are successful, can, depending on how widespread their use becomes, serve to help assure a "fair trade". Our failure to participate may not only result in an increasing drug problem with our secondary school youth and young adults but will also serve to help continue society's broad drug problems. These will affect all of us in one way or another, even if those causing them don't live in our community. We can only hope that other communities whose young adults move about and perhaps settle in our City have participated in such programs. Because of the training involved, I don't think we could participate in this program by using our personnel rather than using funds, since if the project is to be successful the presenter must have the training to properly present it. Since this will be a yearly cost and I would presume the City of Ramsey will be providing a supply of fifth graders every year in increasing numbers throughout the 1990's, I don't think this is a firdng cost for any civic organization to assume. Recommendation: Fund a proportion of Project D.A.R.E. equal to the number of Ramsey children attending fifth grade in the Anoka-Hennepin School District at a cost of about $11.45 per student. Review Checklist: City. Administrator X City. Attorney Ci~ Engfineer Community Development Director X Chief of Police Finance Officer Planning & Zoning Commission Park & Recreation Commission X X