May 1990
POLICE PRACTICE 2
DARE: SELECTING THE RIGHT OFFICER
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program, D.A.R.E., may
be one of the most successful undertakings in the history of
modern law enforcement. This highly visible program, developed
by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Unified
Schools, has become a primary tool to teach children how to
However, the success of D.A.R.E. would not be possible if
t weren't for the police officers who dedicate their time and
efforts not only in the classrooms but also at PTA meetings,
agencies take the necessary steps to ensure that their D.A.R.E.
officers are the best possible representatives, who reflect the
the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office has implemented a
multiple-step process of selecting D.A.R.E. officers.
THE RECRUITING PROCESS
In order to be successful, the recruiting process must not
be overlooked. Often, some of the best candidates do not
consider applying for the D.A.R.E. program until they are
approached. This is primarily due to peer pressure to ``stay on
the street and be a real cop.'' Therefore, Snohomish County
D.A.R.E. officers go into the field to educate the officers about
the program and to explain the impact they could have.
Officers are approached at roll call, coffee stops, and even at
their homes. Notices are also distributed advertising the
D.A.R.E. opening and inviting any interested officers to apply in
THE SELECTION PROCESS
After the applications are collected, each candidate is
advised that because public speaking is so important in the
s an activity that many fear, those candidates who do not have a
exercise. The remaining applicants are instructed to prepare and
and why they want to be D.A.R.E. officers. Each candidate also
Potential D.A.R.E. officers must also demonstrate an ability
to formulate a lesson plan using their own education and
experience. Toward this end, candidates are given information
and tips on how to prepare lesson plans on topics of their
choice, which can then be used to instruct a fifth or sixth grade
class. Like the speech, the lesson plans are scored with a
maximum score of 100. Scoring is completed by two officers who
both have relevant academic and teaching experience. Because, in
all probability, the scorers would know the candidates, all names
are removed from the lesson plans to ensure impartiality.
Each candidate also contacts a school to schedule a D.A.R.E.
class, because D.A.R.E. officers must do this on a regular basis.
Candidates are rated in five categories by the teachers for a
combined score of 100.
The final exercise that the candidates have to complete is
an appearance before the oral board. The oral board consists of
experienced D.A.R.E. officers who ask each candidate a series of
questions that had been asked by students from previous D.A.R.E.
classes. Again, the maximum possible score on the oral board
To make the final selections, the scores from the various
exercises are totalled. The public speaking exercise is assessed
a value of 40 percent; the classroom presentation, 40 percent;
and the lesson plan, 20 percent. These scores are then added to
the oral board score and divided by two for the final score. The
names of the top three candidates are then sent to the sheriff.
However, in order for this process to be credible, the
candidates have to accept it as fair and impartial. Therefore,
after the exercises, each candidate is asked to evaluate the
testing and selection process. From comments received, all
candidates believed that they not only had been given fair
treatment but also that they learned a great deal in the
CONCLUSION
Obviously, it would be simpler and far quicker for the
for the position. However, the Snohomish County Sheriff's
Department believes that its D.A.R.E. Officer Selection Program
community. In fact, D.A.R.E. is already changing the public's
turned by the best qualified D.A.R.E. officers possible.
____________
Information for this column was submitted by Philip W.
Tribuzio, who is Chief of the Bureau of Staff Services for the
Snohomish County, Washington, Sheriff's Office.
