Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry is pleased to announce the graduation of three school resource officers from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Instructor training recently held at the Public Safety Education and Training Center in Sykesville. PFC Ronald Walls, Cpl. Kimberly Selkirk, and PFC Dave Snyder were among 20 officers from across the region to complete the two-week, 80 hour certification course to become some of the nation’s newest DARE instructors.

DARE is a community-based, nationwide program which links law enforcement, schools and parents in a partnership to educate children about the dangers of drugs. 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. In addition, some of the other lessons discussed under the DARE program include bullying, gangs, internet safety, cyber-bullying, and prescription drug abuse. DARE instructors are certified to deliver programs at the K-4, elementary and middle school level.

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 strive to establish positive connections with students. They provide safety, teach classes, coordinate after-school activities and serve as mentors. They are valuable partners with the students and school administrators,” said Sheriff Berry.

With the graduation of these officers, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office has a total of 16 officers qualified to teach the DARE curriculum. For more information about the CCSO school resource officers, visit https://www.ccso.us/school-resource-section/.

group photo DARE graduates

Photo (Left to right): Lieutenant Charles Baker, PFC Ronald Walls, Cpl. Kimberly Selkirk, PFC Dave Snyder, and Sgt. Mike Vaughn.

 

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. 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, texting CHARLES + the tip to CRIMES (274637) or submitting tips online at tipsubmit.com. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Learn more at the CCSO’s website.

 

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.