Teaching Children to Make Smart Decisions

Since 1983, when the D.A.R.E. program was founded by Chief Daryl F. Gates in Los Angeles with 10 police officers, the program has grown to over 50,000 officers across the United States, and in 43 countries around the world.

D.A.R.E. is a Drug Abuse Resistance Education program that teaches students the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs as well as skills to resist peer pressure, deal with bullying and cyber-bullying, and how to make good decisions. The program is taught to 6th grade students at Mt. Pleasant Middle School (MPM).

“The D.A.R.E. program is the cornerstone of community policing,” reported Police Chief Craig Handschuch. “The program provides a positive atmosphere for students to interact with uniformed police officers.” In addition to MPM School, D.A.R.E. is also taught to fifth graders at Aquinas Academy and eighth graders at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy. In order to teach the D.A.R.E. Middle School curriculum, officers undergo 80 hours of special training in child development, classroom management, teaching techniques, and communication skills. The High School curriculum requires an additional 40 hours of training.

“Our D.A.R.E. Officers Gary Mankowitz, Stan Valles and Joy Klapal are also certified as School Resource Officers which means that they work with students of all ages -- from teaching kindergarten students how to dial 911 or “stranger danger,” to driver safety and DWI for high school students,” continued Chief Handschuch.

The Community Policing Unit is involved every day in helping Livingston Township residents. The Unit collaborates with community organizations on a variety of projects including providing free Child IDs, assisting with Project Lifesaver program which is an electronic device that helps to ensure that those prone to wandering don’t become lost, running the Carfit Program for senior residents (in conjunction with the Traffic Division), and other crime prevention efforts including “National Night Out” on August 3, 2011. Sergeant Stuart Lukowiak, and Officers Kelli Ann Riley and Derek Wyatt, who make up the Bike Patrol, can go places that a police car can’t including narrow or wooded areas. You will see them most often during the warmer months assisting members of the community, and apprehending individuals who commit crimes.

“It is important for the Livingston community to feel comfortable speaking with members of the Police Department,” stated Officer Mankowitz. “Communities that are united are stronger in every way — from lower crime rates, to better education, to a better overall quality of life.”

For more information on the Police Department and Community Policing Unit/D.A.R.E. activities, go to the Township website: www.livingstonnj.org. Click on Police in the left hand column to access their web pages. The Police Department is located at 333 South Livingston Avenue, Livingston, New Jersey 07039.