Corporal John Steele has recently been named the Dare officer. His duties include, but are not limited to:
D.A.R.E.Fifth Grade Classes
D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a collaborative effort between the Festus Police Department and the Festus R-6 School District. D.A.R.E. is an educational program for fifth grade students to prevent or reduce drug abuse and violence among children. The emphasis of D.A.R.E. is to help students recognize and resist the many direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, or other drugs. It also teaches them how to avoid or resolve violent situations.
D.A.R.E. is a ten-week program in which the Officer teaches the fifth grade students for one class period a week. The course culminates with a D.A.R.E. Graduation in which parents, grandparents, and others are invited to participate.
D.A.R.E.High School
The high school D.A.R.E. curriculum is taught in the sophomore year. It is also a ten-week program. It not only reinforces all of the ideas taught in the fifth grade program, in a way more appropriate for their age, but also makes them more aware of laws and how they affect them as juveniles.
When Corporal Steele is not teaching D.A.R.E. he alternates between working as the department evidence technician and answering calls on the road.