Police kick off 30th year of DARE program locally

Columbus police and Bartholomew County deputies are kicking off 30 years of the DARE program in local schools this week.

Locally, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program is a 10 week effort dedicated to providing an anti-drug message to area 6th-grade students.

Lt. Matt Harris with the Columbus Police Department explains:

Harris has said that police believe DARE is a vital tool to reach kids with the anti-drug message, and to build trust between the community and officers.

Columbus has one of the largest DARE programs in the state and each year the department spends between $15 and $20,000 dollars for the program, according to police. All of the funding comes from donations and fundraisers.

The department holds a golf outing in early August to raise funds for the program and in recent years started a summer Blue Line motorcycle ride to raise money, although that was canceled this year.

If you want more information on local DARE efforts or how to make a donation, you can contact the Columbus Police Department at 812-376-2600