DATE: October 10, 2018
CONTACT:
Janelle Love
Media Relations Office
301-609-6538 or 240-419-0646
Charles County Sheriff’s Officers Complete D.A.R.E. Instructor Training
Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry is pleased to announce the graduation of two school resource officers from the 34th Maryland D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Officer Training class recently held at the Public Safety Education and Training Center in Sykesville. PFC Brock Virts and PFC James Plunkett were among 30 officers from across the region to complete the two-week, 80 hour certification course to become some of the nation’s newest D.A.R.E. instructors.
D.A.R.E. is a community-based, nationwide program which links law enforcement, schools and parents in a partnership to educate children about the dangers of drugs, gangs, and violence. The class is taught by police officers who present information to children in a classroom environment, providing skills on how to resist drugs and how to build resiliency to staying away from drugs. The program also includes discussions on bullying, internet safety, cyber-bullying, and prescription drug abuse. D.A.R.E. instructors are certified to deliver programs to students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
In Charles County, a school resource officer is assigned to every high school and middle school on a full-time basis. These officers are also responsible for interacting with students at elementary schools. “School resource officers play a vital role in the schools in terms of safety as well as mentoring our students and serving as positive role models,” said Sheriff Berry. “Teaching the D.A.R.E. program benefits students as well as law enforcement, as it is our hope that what they learn will stick with them when they are faced with tough choices in school and throughout life.”
For more information about the CCSO school resource officers, visit https://www.ccso.us/school-resource-section/.
Photo Cutline (Left to right): M/Sgt. Robert Vaughn, PFC Brock Virts, PFC James Plunkett, and Lieutenant William Edge
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2001 has been designated as a CALEA Gold Standard of Excellence agency since 2011. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
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