Welcome Message Upcoming Events Awareness |
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In 1987, the Town of Easton was selected as a pilot community to replicate the D.A.R.E. Program in Massachusetts. Officer Michael Fox was selected to be the D.A.R.E. Officer. Officer Fox started this program in the Easton Public Schools in September of 1987. The original plan was to have Officer Fox replicate the 17 week program. The program went over so well, that Chief Walter Healey along with the school department decided to include the K-4 program as well. Officer Fox was then assigned to the school system from September until school got out in June. While Officer Fox worked in the schools, he also attended the Parent Advisory Council meetings and Easton Drug Council meetings(now known as the Easton Community Council) in all the elementary schools on a regular basis. In 1993, under Chief Stanley Bates, Officer Patrick Brophy was trained as a D.A.R.E. Officer and took over the Core and Elementary Programs. Officer Fox, along with the Athletic Director James Mitchell, were trained in the Senior High curriculum and also started teaching to the tenth graders during the Spring of 1993. In 1994, under the D.A.R.E./ TOBACCO Control Grant, the Town of Easton was able to establish a D.A.R.E./RECREATION SUMMER CAMP. This camp was held for two, four week sessions, allowing 50 campers per session to participate. The Easton School System assisted us in determining students of need and provided us with a school building to hold the camp. Since the camp was rated a great success by students and parents, it was held again in the summer of 1995. During this year, there was an increase demand for the camp to raise the camper quota to 60 campers per session. The camp was run under the modified Summer Camp curriculum set by the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council. Also during this year, we started an after school program at Oliver Ames High School. Here, students from the Jr. and Senior High can come play in the gym or use the D.A.R.E. weight room that we bought with private donations raised for the D.A.R.E. Program. We are now in the process of building 3 outdoor basketball courts and adding 2 tennis courts to the existing courts that will be lighted at night so that youths will have a place to congregate at night. This will be supervised by the Easton Police Department with its Community Police Program. The Easton Police Department would like to thank the Recreation Department for their support and contributions of $10,000 to make this project become possible! Over the past nine years, the Town of Easton has shown its commitment to the youth of this town by continually providing what assistance we can offer to them. This past year, we trained 2 new D.A.R.E. Officer's. This was done so Officer Brophy could start teaching the Jr. High curriculum. The new Officer is: Officer Dwayne Farrell. Dwayne will be instructing the K-3 Program. In 1998, during the month of April, Officer George Allen graduated D.A.R.E. School and will be the full time D.A.R.E Officer. A successful D.A.R.E. Camp during the summertime will introduce his assets to the program. |
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