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