JACKSON CITY COMMENTARY: DARE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF JACKSON

The DARE Program is an important part of our community education program. DARE which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education is a program founded in the mid 1980's by the Los Angeles Police Department. The idea of bringing DARE to Jackson began to develop in 1990.

A decision to move forward with this program in Jackson was reached as part of a mutual agreement between the City of Jackson and the Jackson Public Schools. In 1992 Officer Howard Hammers of the Jackson Police Dept. was sent to the Missouri Highway Patrol Academy to receive formal DARE instructor training. In the fall of 1992 Howard started teaching DARE classes in the Public Schools. In 1993 both the St. Paul Lutheran and Immaculate Conception Catholic Schools Joined the program.

The program has progressed and grown the following eight years. Currently there are about 420 DARE students in three schools in the program. About 3,250 students have completed the course the past eight years. The City of Jackson has provided an estimated $30,000 plus in time for an instructor to teach the program. Officer Hammers is taken away from his normal duties to teach the DARE program in our Schools. Is the expense worth it? Feedback from School Administrators has been an overwhelming yes it is worth it.

The DARE program covers the following topics: 1. What are drugs 2. Consequences of abusing drugs 3. Pressures to abuse drugs 4. Peer pressure and how to handle it 5. Resistance techniques and ways to say "NO" 6. Good role models 7. Positive alternatives to drug abuse 8. other anti-drug abuse topics.

DARE is not meant to be a silver bullet. Obviously, there are problems with substance abuse and there must be assorted ways to address these problems. Through educating our youngsters of the danger of substance abuse and the pressures we are trying hard to help our young people choose the right road to a bright future. The young people of our community are our future and DARE is a positive method of educating them to do the right thing for themselves and their families.

The City of Jackson is very proud to be a part of the DARE program in cooperation with our local Schools. We believe in the program and know it is making a positive difference in our community.

Another city-sponsored program was started in 1996 with the addition of a K-9 unit in Jackson. Our K-9 whose name is "Stadt," started training with a Jackson Police Officer and local K-9 expert Mike Irvin. Training is done on a weekly basis. They train in excess of 250 hours per year. This training includes, but is not limited to Tracking, Officer protection and Drug sniffs. Since June of 1999 under the direction of K-9 Officer Kevin Harris, Stadt has participated in more than 50 contacts, resulting in 15 arrests.

Stadt and Officer Kevin Harris are available for programs and demonstrations by calling the Police Station. The City is proud to continue the funding of our K-9 unit and hope that we can continue to help in making arrests that discourage the use and sale of drugs in our community.

The Jackson Fire Department recently acquired a Thermal Imager to assist our Fire fighting and rescue efforts. This unit which cost $11,000 was funded in part through donations from local businesses and service clubs. Our local businesses and service clubs are always ready to step forward when a need arises that will benefit our City. We thank them very much for their help. The Jackson Fire and Rescue department is fortunate to have this unit. The closest department is Southern Missouri to have a Thermal Imager is about 80 miles away.

The camera's primary function enables firefighters to see in houses that are full of smoke to look for possible victims that have been overcome by the smoke. It also can help find "hot spots" in walls after a fire is extinguished. Hot spots are areas behind a wall that are smoldering and may re-ignite.

We feel confident that this Thermal Imager will save lives and property in the years to come.

The Council meets every Monday at 7:30 p.m., at City Hall. Your suggestions and ideas on how we can improve Jackson are always welcome.