Chief Deputy Spencer Daniels, School Resource Deputy and DARE Instructor Rodney Brown, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Deputy Unit, in conjunction with the administration of the East Hamilton Middle School, hosted a graduation ceremony for students who recently completed the school’s DARE Program.
During the event, 47 students graduated from the DARE Program and by the conclusion of this school year, approximately 1,000 students will have graduated the program county-wide since it was re-instituted in the schools in 2022.
Sheriff Austin Garrett said, "This marks the third DARE graduation to take place at East Hamilton Middle School and this program has become an important part of their yearly curriculum.
My administration recognizes the significant impact of the DARE Program, not only in combating drug addiction among youth, but also in instilling essential life lessons and values. Given the alarming rise in overdoses and overdose-related deaths across our state and nation, as well as the increase in juvenile violence, there has never been a more crucial time to teach and expand the DARE Program in Hamilton County.”
In order to be a DARE Instructor, potential candidates are vetted by D.A.R.E. mentors responsible for training new law enforcement personnel. The candidate must also be a POST-certified, uniformed law enforcement deputy with at least two or more years of service and must successfully complete a rigorous 80-hour training course conducted by mentors with a significant number of years of classroom experience, as well as university-level educators from colleges of education. This coursework does not include the many additional hours of study and after-hours work required to test for the certification.
“I am extremely proud of School Resource Deputy and DARE Instructor, Rodney Brown, for his hard work and dedication to the safety and education of the students at East Hamilton Middle School,” Sheriff Garrett further noted.
The HCSO would like to thank today's guest speaker, Hamilton County Judge Tori Smith, the administration and staff at East Hamilton Middle School, and the Hamilton County Department of Education for their participation in today's event and for their ongoing support in making this program possible for students.