Shreveport Police Department has concluded another successful year providing Drug Abuse Resistance Education to local youth.
More than 17,500 Caddo Parish students were reached by DARE this year, including 2,756 students in 124 classes who were taught the extensive 15-week DARE curriculum.
The Shreveport Police Department received an annual state grant to run the DARE program in the amount of $102,386. The grant period ended May 31. The department is currently awaiting DARE funding for the upcoming school year.
DARE is a drug awareness and education program designed to teach children the dangers of drugs and alcohol. It was founded in Los Angeles in 1983 and aims at reducing the risks of drug use among young people by providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to make healthy decisions.
The Shreveport Police Department has four DARE officers and one sergeant who teach DARE locally. They devote a lot of time, effort and caring to the many hundreds of children they interact with each year.