DARE Officer Gets 'New' Donated Vehicle

There's a new police vehicle in town, and the cruisin' is easier thanks to a local auto dealer.

The Car Co. on U.S. 30E, Warsaw, recently donated its second vehicle to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

Deputy/DARE officer Tim Sammons will use the 1997 four-door, four-wheel-drive Ford Expedition as his department-issued vehicle.

The vehicle was acquired via a trade-in of the DARE Camaro that was donated to the KCSD a couple of years ago by The Car Co. Use of the SUV will make it easier for Sammons to haul his DARE supplies, which are kept in a utility trailer and transported to the various schools for graduations and other events.

Sammons said the Camaro was a good public relations tool.

"The kids identified me with the Camaro and now the kids can start to identify me with this vehicle," Sammons said, adding that the department opted to trade the Camaro in vs. putting it to further use to avoid confusion with the children.

While the KCSD appreciated the Camaro donation, it proved not to be as useful during winter months. "It just wasn't very practical," Sammons said.

The $23,000 Expedition was delivered to the KCSD for the trade-in value of the Camaro, plus $4,000, of which $2,000 came from the sheriff's fund and $2,000 from the DARE fund.

"The sole reason we did it is just to help out the community," said Mike DeWitt, owner of The Car Co. "We just wanted to give something back."

Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said the burgundy Expedition already is emblazoned with the sheriff's star and also will have DARE decals on it.

The specialty vehicle is still unique for police work, Rovenstine said.

"We're happy that the private sector can help us out," Rovenstine said.

Each year, the KCSD DARE program provides students in the fifth-grade classes of Tippecanoe Valley, Wawasee and Whitko school corporations a 17-week course teaching students how to resist drugs, violence and peer pressure, as well as how to build self-esteem and confidence.

Sammons also works with students in other elementary grades and is available as a speaker for service clubs and other organizations.

For more information on the DARE program, contact Sammons at 267-5667.