Murrieta Police Officers Speak at Red Ribbon Week Events in Local Schools

The following is a news release from the Murrieta Police Department:

The Murrieta Police Department’s Traffic Division Officers and School Resource Officers recently completed a series of presentations at local elementary schools For Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Red Ribbon Week. The presentations, like this one at Oak Meadows Elementary School, focused on the DARE message of making good decisions and avoiding drugs and violence.

The Murrieta Police Department strongly supports the DARE Program in the Murrieta Unified School District (MVUSD). As the name indicates, the program focuses on avoiding drug and tobacco use. What many are unaware of though, is the DARE message also focuses heavily on making appropriate and good decisions as these 5th graders mature. A lot of time is spent on peer pressure and how this can positively or negatively affect a young person. Time is spent on the importance of picking good friends, and having a supportive network of friends that make good decisions about their lives at home, during their free time, and at school. Lastly, some instructional time is spent on what police officers do for the community. This helps put a human face on the job of law enforcement and teaches kids that police officers are their friends, approachable, and can be used as a resource for good advice and help as they mature.

This program is supported and has been taught by Murrieta officers from some of our newest officers up through Corporals, Sergeants, Lieutenants, Captains, and even our Chief of Police Sean Hadden. It is purposely targeted at 5th graders. The powerful curriculum is designed to reach out to 5th graders as they approach middle school age. In middle school, these now young adults traditionally begin to experience more peer pressure and additional freedoms at home and after school. The DARE program feels this is the most likely time they will be faced with some of the tough decisions we discuss in the program.

The Murrieta Police Department encourages MVUSD staff to work through their School Resource Officers if they would like to have officers present for Red Ribbon week or any other DARE related activity. We are more than help to help out with officers, SWAT, motors, and equestrian appearances for your activities.