HCSO Chief Deputy Spencer Daniels gives welcome remarks to students and attendees
School Resource Deputy & D.A.R.E. Instructor Sarah Long-Ross speaks to students and attendees
Loftis Middle School Principal Dr. Mary Catherine Gatlin speaks to students and attendees
Earlier this morning, Chief Deputy Spencer Daniels, School Resource Deputy and D.A.R.E. Instructor Sarah Long-Ross, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Deputy Unit, in conjunction with the administration of Loftis Middle School, hosted the school’s second D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony for students who recently completed the program.
"During today’s event, 169 students graduated from the D.A.R.E. 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 our schools in 2022," officials said.
"This marks the second D.A.R.E. graduation to take place at Loftis Middle School and this program has become an important part of their yearly curriculum. My administration recognizes the significant impact of the D.A.R.E. 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 D.A.R.E. Program in Hamilton County,” said Sheriff Austin Garrett.
In order to be a certified 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, officials said.
“I am extremely proud of School Resource Deputy and D.A.R.E. Instructor, Sarah Long-Ross, for her hard work and dedication to the safety and education of the students at Loftis Middle School,” Sheriff Garrett said.
"The HCSO would like to thank the administration and staff at Loftis Middle School as well as the Hamilton County Department of Education for their support in making this program possible for students," officials said.