D.A.R.E.

The Seymour Police Department D.A.R.E Program was initiated in 1999 by Chief JB Hamblin after assigning Officer Billy Smith as the first D.A.R.E. instructor.

The Seymour Police Department D.A.R.E Program was initiated in 1999 by Chief JB Hamblin after assigningpastedGraphic.png Officer Billy Smith as the first D.A.R.E. instructor.  Officer Tim Toborg, along with Officer Gilbert Carpenter are currently the instructors for the program.  The program currently involves 19 classrooms taught at 9 differentpastedGraphic.png public and parochial schools.  Combined, the instructors are responsible for teaching approximately 400 children in the community. Each Officer was required to attend a 2-week training course to receive a certification topastedGraphic.png become an instructor.  Following are the schools that the Seymour Police Department is responsible for:

  • Brown Elementary
  • Cortland Elementary
  • Emerson Elementary
  • Immanual Lutheran School
  • Jackson Elementary
  • Redding Elementary
  • Saint Ambrose School

What does the DARE program involve?  Well, there are several different aspects to the program, but it is all based on the D.A.R.E. acronym and D.A.R.E. Model as follows:

D. – Drug
A. – Abuse – misuse of…
R. – Resistance – to say no to…
E. – Education – to learn
D. – Define – What’s the problem or opportunity?
A. – Assess – Think of choices or options.
R. – Respond – Make your decision.
E. – Evaluate – Check your decision – Was it a good choice?    

Role Models are selected from high school Juniors and Seniors that have remained drug-free.  The role models talk with students, sharing encounters they’ve experienced along with success stories. They encourage the students that they too can remain drug-free! Cool.

The basics of the course are designed to teach not only drug awareness, but give children the skills they will need to make better decisions when faced with a choice involving drugs.

The D.A.R.E. Program was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles, California after an officer’s child was found with marijuana.  After asking his child “didn’t I teach you about drugs”, and receiving the response from the child, “No dad, you never talk”, the officer decided that drug awareness must start at a young age not only with his child but everyone’s children. What better venue to conduct this program than our school systems

Interested in Donating to DARE?
Contact Officer Jeremy Helmsing

jdhelmsing@seymour.in.gov