D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse
Resistance Education) has been an important part of the
Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office since 1993. D.A.R.E. is a
collaborative effort by D.A.R.E certified law enforcement
officers, educators, students, parents and the community to
offer an educational program in the classroom to prevent or
reduce drug abuse and violence among children and youth. 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 or to engage in violence.
The D.A.R.E program offers
preventive strategies to enhance those protective
factors-especially bonding to the family, school and
community-which appears to foster the development of
resiliency in young people who may be at risk for substance
abuse or other problem behaviors.
Currently, the D.A.R.E.
program is a fixture in 67 public, private and parochial
schools throughout the city. We graduate approximately 7,000
students a year who have successfully completed the program.
A Master Deputy II and nine certified D.A.R.E. deputies
instruct the curriculum, with numerous other deputies
certified to fill in when needed.
D.A.R.E. is just one of
several pro-active projects the Sheriff's Office
participates in with the community. The D.A.R.E. pledge:
"DARE to be yourself; DARE to be Drug and Violence Free!"
