Mentor Officer Training 2023

The D.A.R.E. America Training Team along with the support and assistance of Virginia D.A.R.E., York County (VA) D.A.R.E. Program, and the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services & MD D.A.R.E. Unit just completed a Mentor Officer Training (M.O.T.). The training was conducted February 13-17, 2023, at the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Academy. Eighteen (18) D.A.R.E. Officers representing the following eight (8) states; Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia, along with candidates from the countries of Brazil & Canada successfully completed the course and were ultimately certified as “Phase 1 mentor status.”

Congratulations to all our newly certified mentors and good luck at your respective training centers and future D.A.R.E. Officer Trainings. We are so proud of your efforts and due diligence.

A special thank you goes out to the following individuals for making the class a huge success:

Dr. Lloyd Bratz, D.A.R.E. America’s Vice President of Regional and International Operations

Mark Medford, D.A.R.E. America’s Northeast Regional Director for coordinating the M.O.T.

Our Staff:

• Educational Advisor, Dr. Ashley Frazier, D.A.R.E. America’s Director of Training and Curriculum

Our Master Mentors:

• Michael Adkins, state of North Carolina State Training Coordinator
• Michael Casamento, State of Maryland State Training Coordinator
• Michael Russell, York County (VA) D.A.R.E. Program Coordinator
• Ann Thacker, State of Maryland D.A.R.E. & School/Youth Outreach Specialist

and lastly the candidates in the class for putting in a prodigious effort in earning their respective certification.