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The Saratoga Springs Police Department has a trained D.A.R.E. Instructor who conducts training in elementary schools. Officer Tony Straus goes to 30 Fifth Grade classrooms in 8 public/parochial schools in the Saratoga Springs City School District. He is also available on a request basis to go to other grades including kindergarten classes for instruction. The goal of prevention requires an attitudinal change in students with the traditional approach of teaching substance identification and emphasizing the dangers of abuse. The curriculum addresses value decisions, self-concept improvement, respect for the law and peer resistance training. The purpose of this curriculum is to provide children with the knowledge and the ability to say no to substance abuse and not be influenced by peer pressure that they may encounter. The benefits of reducing drug and substance abuse in school children are far reaching in that in the future these children will assume roles as productive citizens and leaders. The program is mainly for Fifth Grade students and is described below. For more information, please contact Officer Tony Straus by phone or email at astraus@saratogapolice.org The D.A.R.E. Program is designed in a series of lesson plans which stress individual ideas to the students in a way which is both educational and fun. The lesson plan starts out with a basic introduction to D.A.R.E., and gives the instructor and students alike an opportunity to interact and a feel for the Program. Then the focus shifts to the basic understanding of what a mind altering drug is and the consequences of using them. Once this is established D.A.R.E. students explore ways of resisting the temptations of drug use, such as peer pressure, stress and low self-esteem, and how to just "Say NO!". Gang and group violence is discussed and shows how these can lead to destructive behavior. The Program emphasizes positive ways to deal with anger without loosing self-control which, in many cases, leads to substance abuse. The role that media such as television plays as an influence to the decisions that students make is discussed, and looks at the way media portrays drug use. At the end of the Program a summary of all that the students have covered is discussed to help them access and absorb what they have learned during D.A.R.E. The students are taught how to respond effectively when they are pressured to use drugs, and how to take a positive stand to stay drug-free and to avoid violence by putting their commitment in an essay. Finally it's D.A.R.E. GRADUATION!! Graduation us to celebrate the achievement of all the students and to reinforce the vales and skills they have learned.
In April of 2007, New Country Saratoga Auto Park (Toyota) General Manager Bob McKenna handed over keys to a brand new Toyota Camry to DARE Officer Tony Straus. Mr. McKenna and New Country Auto Park donated the car to the department to replace an aging van that was formerly used for the DARE program. New Country Saratoga Auto Park is one of many community partners of the police department. Their support of our DARE program has helped us sustain our mission to keep the youth of our community safe and substance free. For more information about our community partner, visit their web site at http://www.toyotaofsaratogasprings.com
Captain Mike Biss, Chief Ed Moore, and Officer Tony Straus accepts the keys for a 2007 Toyota Camry courtesy of General Manager Bob McKenna of New Country Saratoga Auto Park.
Photographs courtesy of Mark Morand and Mainframe Photography @ http://www.mpiphoto.com/
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