School Resource Officers / D.A.R.E.

The School Resource Officer's Program is a joint effort between the Altamonte Springs Police Department and the Seminole County Public School System. The program is designed to encourage the growth of young people by development of a positive attitude towards law enforcement, and by active participation in good citizenship. The resource officer has the following responsibilities:

• To develop various programs such as understanding the laws, the police officer, the police mission and bicycle safety.
• Attend conferences with students, parents and faculty members to assist with problems of law enforcement action as required.
• Will take enforcement action as required.
• To encourage individual and small group discussions with students, to further establish a positive rapport.

The officers assigned to the School Resource Program are as follows:

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) DARE®

The Altamonte Springs Police Department has three full-time officers who are assigned to teach the DARE® curriculum in six elementary schools within the city limits of Altamonte Springs. The program is a joint effort between law enforcement and the schools (with student's parents as a foundation support) and it was created to prevent drug abuse among young people. The targeted grades for this program are the fifth and sixth grade students. This is a ten-week curriculum, one lesson a week and each lesson is approximately one hour long. The emphasis of the program helps students recognize and resist the many subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with drugs, gangs and violence.

Each lesson of the curriculum deals with a different topic but each topic interlocks with the next in a progressive transition. Efforts are made to promote positive attitudes (high self-esteem) in each student since it is a known fact that those individuals with poor self-esteem are more likely to misuse drugs or engage themselves in other criminal activities. Additionally, the lessons instruct the students on the consequences of their actions, various ways to resist (eight ways to say NO) alcohol, tobacco & illegal drugs, saying yes to positive alternatives and finally taking a stand to be a drug-free and avoid violence.

The DARE® officers are expected to develop and maintain community-oriented contacts with the residential and business community to promote the DARE® philosophy.

The officer's other responsibilities include:

• Continually research new and innovative techniques and programs and recommend implementation.
• Attend or facilitate community meetings.
• Maintain a liaison with all ongoing D.A.R.E. programs providing departmental support to maintain effectiveness.
• Coordinate outside resources (social services, business community, etc.) to meet community oriented needs.

The current certified DARE® officer is: SPO Kristin Kelting

She can be reached by email at kekelting@altamonte.org