Carson to host state DARE conference

The Carson City Sheriff's Department is hosting the state DARE Officers Association Conference next week.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education training conferences are held annually and help officers develop skills used in the classrooms for the benefit of the students, said Deputy Scott McDaniel. DARE is a cooperative effort between the Sheriff's Department and the Carson City School District.

"We're expecting between 40 and 50," officers from throughout the state, he said. "The conference hasn't been here in over 17 years. When we got the DARE program back into the schools, we really wanted to hold the conference here and say, 'Hey we're going back to the state capital.'"

The DARE program, reinstated by Sheriff Kenny Furlong in Carson City after a six-year lapse, aims to teach children how to resist the pressures of drug use as well as develop lifelong skills to help them turn down offers of drugs, McDaniel said.

The program is taught by certified law enforcement officers who go into the school classrooms and work with students to educate them on non-drug use through drug resistance education.

From March 21-24 at the Plaza Hotel, DARE officers will attend classes that update them on the latest drug trends, prescription drugs, bullying and gang trends. During a banquet dinner March 23, Secretary of State Dean Heller will be the guest speaker.

DARE vehicles will be on display in front of the Plaza Hotel at 801 S. Carson St. during this conference for public viewing.

n Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.