BARTHOLOMEW CO. – The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department has two new DARE officers.
Deputy Max Medina and Deputy Nicholi Burkholder have been chosen as new DARE instructors which will double the number of instructors in the Sheriff’s Office DARE program joining DARE instructors Sgt. Andrew Whipker and School Resource Officer Jessica Pendleton.
Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, is an education program that seeks to prevent the use of controlled drugs, membership in gangs, and violent behavior. The program’s mascot is Daren the Lion.
Both Deputy Medina and Deputy Burkholder were selected by an interview panel consisting of Sgt. Whipker, SRO Pendleton, Angie Ginder a 6th-grade teacher at Rockcreek Elementary School, and Andy Kilps pastor at Hope Moravian Church.
Both deputies will attend DARE instructor training this summer and will begin instructing DARE lessons during the fall semester.
“The DARE program is a cornerstone of the relationship between law enforcement and the community’s youth. The addition of these two deputies will continue to strengthen the Sheriff’s Office DARE program which serves students throughout Bartholomew County,’ said Sheriff Chris Lane. ‘These two deputies are excellent choices for this program, they are both fathers and hardworking members of the department.
The DARE program was founded in 1983 as a law enforcement-led series of classroom lessons that teach students good decision-making skills in order for them to lead safe and healthy lives.
The curriculum consisted of lectures on the harmful consequences of drug and alcohol use, how to refuse drugs, building self-esteem and support networks, and alternatives to drugs. The Curriculum also condemned graffiti and tattoos because they were considered to be the result of peer pressure. These lessons were derived from SMART, an anti-drug program under development at the University of Southern California, but they were adapted to be delivered by police officers instead of educators.
Officers were also encouraged to spend time with students informally, such as playing basketball or chatting with students over lunch, and participating in other school activities.
