Exeter Police Officer Completes D.A.R.E. Training

EXETER, NH – Police Chief Richard Kane is pleased to announce that Officer Stephen Petroski has recently graduated from the D.A.R.E. Officer Training School at the Fire Academy in Concord, according to a press statement.

The D.A.R.E. Officer Training class, which was held from Nov. 3,0 to Dec. 11, 2015, educated Petroski on all aspects of the D.A.R.E. program and certified him to teach the program to Exeter students.

The course is an intensive 80-hour live-in program, and requires officers to develop lesson plans and teach an actual class before becoming certified as instructors. In addition to subjects such as learning modalities and child development, the program covers topics including classroom management, teaching techniques, lesson planning, team building, communication and public speaking.

During D.A.R.E. Officer Training, participants also spend time working with trained staff mentors and educators who teach them about brain-based learning, youth culture trends, learning styles, drug information, effective questioning, active listening, and practicing the D.A.R.E. curriculum and material.

Petroski follows a long line of Exeter Police Officers who have taught the D.A.R.E. program at the Lincoln Street Elementary School for the past 25 years. In January 2016, he will begin teaching the 10-week D.A.R.E. program for all nine classes of fifth grade students who will have a graduation program in the spring.

“As a department, we are very proud of Officer Petroski for completing this training so he can continue the mission of educating our youth on making smart and healthy decisions,” Kane said. “The D.A.R.E. Program is an extremely valuable tool for us as public safety officers to teach children the tools they need to resist alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or any other unhealthy behaviors they may encounter.”

Petroski is currently a part-time officer with the Exeter Police Department, though he served as a full-time officer with the department for more than 20 years.

Caption: Captain William Shupe, Officer Stephen Petroski and Chief Richard Kane at Officer Petroski’s graduation from the D.A.R.E. Officer Training program in Concord.