D.A.R.E. Program

D.A.R.E Logo

The Madison D.A.R.E. program is comprised of several dedicated police officers who are trained through an intensive program. After their training they go into the 5th-grade classes at the public schools as well as St. Vincent's, to begin teaching the program. Once a week from fall through spring Sergeant Cavezza, Sergeant Glab, Corporal Aquino, Patrolman Burans and Patrolman Strafaci attend the schools and meet with the students, teaching a curriculum approved by D.A.R.E.

D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It is a drug abuse prevention program designed to equip students with knowledge about drug abuse, the consequences of abuse, and the skills for resisting peer pressure to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. 

The D.A.R.E. program is taught in all 50 states and in 75% of the nations school districts, creating a positive atmosphere for students to interact with uniformed police officers. This unique program uses uniformed police officers to teach a formal curriculum to students in a classroom setting.

D.A.R.E. lessons focus on four major areas:

  1. Providing accurate information about drugs alcohol and tobacco.
  2. Teaching students good decision-making skills.
  3. Showing students how to recognize and resist peer pressure.
  4. Giving students ideas for positive alternatives to drugs.

Through a cooperative effort by the police, schools, parents and the community working together, the Madison DARE program is helping our children make the right choices concerning drug use.

At the conclusion of the Madison D.A.R.E. program the students are presented with a certificate and T-Shirt after completing the years work, and writing an essay on the importance for them to be drug, alcohol and tobacco free. The Madison PBA also sponsors a graduation trip for the D.A.R.E. students, paying for an event as well as transportation to events such as Nets Basketball, Arena Football or Newark Bears Baseball.

For more information, please contact Corporal Stephanie C. Aquino of the Madison Police Community Relations Unit at (973) 593-3035 or AquinoS@rosenet.org.