Welcome to D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education).

DARE is a collaborative effort by DARE certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and community to offer an educational program in the classroom to prevent or reduce drug abuse, violence, and "bullying" among children and youth in our schools. The emphasis of the K-5 DARE curriculum is to assist in educating children to help them keep safe, drug-free, and violence-free and to teach them to recognize, avoid, and report situations which may endanger their personal health and safety.

The emphasis of the Grade 6 DARE curriculum 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 appear to foster the development of resiliency in young people who may be at risk for substance abuse or other problem behaviors. These strategies focus on the development of social competence, communication skills, self-esteem, empathy, decision-making, conflict resolution, sense of purpose and independence, and positive alternative activities to drug abuse and other destructive conduct.

I welcome your involvement in this program. Should you have questions or concerns please contact me or any officer in the DARE Unit at the number or email address listed below.

With your child's interest in mind,

Officer Shawn Pirog / #5241
D.A.R.E. Coordinator/Instructor
Community Policing Unit
215-579-1000 x263

Sgt. Mark Pentz / #5220
D.A.R.E. Instructor
215-579-1000 x281