Smyrna in the news

Google news informed me of some news based in our town.


DARE is a program that makes an attempt to get kids from using drugs. At least that is what the Smyrna Police website says.

Project DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a substance use prevention education program designed to equip elementary school children with skills for resisting peer pressure to experiment with tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. This unique program, which was begun in Smyrna in 1994, uses uniformed law enforcement officers to teach a formal curriculum to students in a classroom setting.
DARE TARGETS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN.
Junior high and high school drug education programs have come too late to prevent drug use among youth in the past. Therefore, substantial numbers of young people have reported initiating use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana by junior high school.

While this may be an act that is worthy of applause, the reality of the police effort may be more costly then you think.


Looks like one of the Smyrna Police officers, since resigned, may have been involved in some questionable activities with DARE money.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is investigating funds missing from the police department's D.A.R.E. account, once headed by former sergeant Ken Hampton. Hampton, 42, submitted a letter of resignation to Police Chief Mike Beach July 12.

Hampton had been employed with the department since March 14, 1994. During his employment, he served at the department's public information officer, coordinator of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, Citizens Police Academy and fundraiser for Special Olympics of Middle Tennessee and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
..........
"I can confirm that we are investigating some allegations of missing funds related to the Smyrna Police Department's DARE account. No one has been arrested at this time and the investigation continues," she said in an e-mail to The Daily News Journal.

Town officials are unsure how much money is missing, but a Nashville television station reported it could be as much as $20,000.

His resignation had nothing to do with DARE. Seems he did not pay a ticket in Kentucky and lost his license. The driving around on duty without one for over a year was likely bothersome to his bosses.

The DARE information seems to have come to light since he left.

Now $20,000 is a lot cash, if the number is correct. Assuming that the amount is correct, it brings up a question. What is the full budget of the Smyrna DARE program?

I ask that because recent news from Government accounting Office in Washington DC seems to show a major problem with the government anti-drug programs. It doesn't work as planned, or at all.

A Government Accountability Office report on research tracking the impact of the federal government's $1.2 billion anti-drug ad campaign concludes that "the evaluation provides credible evidence that the campaign was not effective in reducing youth drug use, either during the entire period of the campaign
........
Westat's evaluation indicates that exposure to the campaign did not prevent initiation of marijuana use and had no effect on curtailing current users' marijuana use, despite youth recall of and favorable assessments of advertisements." In fact, during some periods and for some subgroups, exposure to the ads was significantly associated with an increased tendency to smoke pot

As someone living in Smyrna I think of how much good the DARE money could have done if spent elsewhere. Better after school programs, parks, or maybe simply taxing us less so we make our own choices how our money is spent.

More Smyrna DARE investigation information HERE and HERE