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Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) officers have become a part of the fifth- and sixth-grade curriculum in all Kosciusko County schools.
But how do local drug awareness educators read the recent wave of criticism of a program that was previously viewed as a successful innovation?
"Is DARE the answer?" asked Craig Allebach, Warsaw police chief. "No, DARE is not the answer.
"Is DARE one of the tools we can utilize - along with a lot of other things - to try to inoculate our kids against drug abuse? Yes, I think it is a very valuable program."
But the program's success comes down to individual officers interacting with kids at risk.
Allebach attributes the local success of the program to officers willing to go the extra mile. "Our guys are really committed to the kids, and that they stay drug free," said Allebach.
The WPD DARE officers, Bret Richardson, LeAnn Richardson and Terry Polston, are the key features of the eight-year-old program. The WPD DARE program currently has contact with students in sixth, eighth and 10th grades.
How does the county DARE officer view the criticism?
"Some of the surveys that have been done which say the program is not effective are looking at it not reaching 70, 80 or 90 percent of the kids," said Deputy Tony Ciriello. "Unfortunately, with this kind of program, you aren't going to see that type of results.
"My thoughts on it are that if I can save just one kid from every class that I teach - just one - it has made every effort that I have put into it worth it," said Ciriello.
He added: "There are some kids that don't need the program, but the ones on the fence are the ones that the program can help."
The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department DARE program was started by Sheriff Al Rovenstine four years ago. Rovenstine initiated the program that has grown to eight schools in the county; South Whitley was added this year.
The program gives the kids the expertise, that the police can contribute and it also shows them that police officers are human beings and can be friends, said Ciriello.
One local teacher also believes that the program is about the individual who is working with the kids.
"All the slamming that the DARE program is taking right now - it definitely doesn't have anything to do with him (Ciriello)," said Mitch Willaman, fifth-grade teacher at North Webster Elementary School. "I think that it really depends on the DARE officer."
