DARE Class Graduates From Sonoma Mountain Elementary School

PETALUMA, CA – Sonoma Mountain Elementary School sixth-graders are the latest graduates of the Petaluma Police Department's DARE Program.

DARE instructor Officer Zeus Rivera on Friday hosted the graduation ceremony for the 57 students, from Ms. Banducci's and Ms. Gilson’s classes, who completed the 10-week curriculum on drug abuse resistance education and received graduation certificates from Police Chief Ken Savano.

In 2007, the DARE Program was staffed full-time by police officers who taught the curriculum to most Petaluma elementary schools. But in 2008, the program was eliminated due to police department staffing reductions.

"Thanks to private donations from the McDowell Drug Task Force, Northbay Chapter of Realtors and Petaluma Parents Against Drugs, the DARE Program has returned with officers working on their days off to teach classes," the Petaluma PD said. "Without these private donations, we would be not be able to provide the DARE curriculum to the elementary schools."

The Petaluma Police Department thanked Sonoma Mountain Elementary School Principal Michele Bochberg for having the DARE Program at the school.

• ALSO SEE: BottleRock Napa Valley 2018: Ticket Pre-Sale Is Dec. 12

--Image via PPD