22 Students Participate in a D.A.R.E. Camp Held by Anne Arundel County Police and the Elks Lodge

Students at Elks Camp Barrett participated in the D.A.R.E. program’s enhancement lessons on vaping and Rx/OTC and Opioid Prevention while having fun at a three-day summer camp.

Children in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms throughout the country today face a multitude of high-risk circumstances including the temptation to use drugs and alcohol, violence, bullying, and internet safety, not to mention the fear of school violence.

The D.A.R.E. program teaches students decision-making skills that equip them to lead safe and healthy lives. Lessons include the dangers of drug abuse, how to resist and refuse peer pressure, and how to take a stand against bullying. The D.A.R.E. program is designed to boost students’ social skills, enhance self-esteem, and provide tools to help them make responsible decisions.

The camp was organized and staffed by Anne Arundel County Police Department’s Southern District Police and Community Together (PACT) Unit. The PACT unit and 22 youths from the communities throughout southern Anne Arundel County came together at the Elks Camp Barrett in Annapolis as a way to build positive relationships between the police and the communities they serve through positive interaction, and games, and participating in three D.A.R.E. enhancement lessons. Camp activities included kickball, water games, the BB rifle range, D.A.R.E., and swimming.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department is currently rebuilding its D.A.R.E. program in the Southern District and has started by hosting this camp to build interest and relationships with the community. Officers Daywalt and Brookman hope to hold the camp annually and be able to expand the camp and begin presenting the D.A.R.E. Elementary School keepin’ it REAL program in the future.