Millions of children around the country have completed D.A.R.E between 1983 and 2021 with parents across the nation now having their own children immersed in the newer educational curriculum.
The 1993 - 1994 school year proved to be a ground breaking one for the Sheriff’s Office and its D.A.R.E. program. This is when the first Amish parochial school programs were piloted.
Geauga County was the first, and to this date, only Amish parochial schools in the nation to participate in the widely recognized program D.A.R.E. - teaching students the dangers of drugs and alcohol and how to resist peer pressure.
The program has steadily expanded each year and currently, 32 Amish parochial schools participate.
As the Sheriff of Geauga County, I think it is fantastic that we can build a relationship with the Amish and they trust us to teach their children. With the drug and alcohol problems we face in this country, it is one more tool to help to prevent further problems.
I believe the D.A.R.E. program is one of the most important community-oriented programs that the Office has, and continue to support the deputies’ mission to provide Drug Abuse Resistance Education.
We currently have two certified D.A.R.E. Officers at the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Jim Hudson was certified as a D.A.R.E officer in March 1991. He has been in law enforcement since 1993. He began his career at Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office for more than nineteen (19) years serving as a full-time deputy and D.A.R.E Officer. Deputy Hudson joined the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office in 2010.
Deputy Donald Walker has been a member of the Geauga County Sheriffs’ Office since 2019. During that time, he has served the Office in many capacities as a first responder. However, he has excelled as a D.A.R.E. Officer for the Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Walker came to Geauga County after serving as a full time Officer for the Madison Township Police Department for more than ten (10) years. He has served his former agency as an instructor in Safety Town. He has also coached many children in his capacity as a mixed martial arts instructor.
Deputy Hudson and Deputy Walker both have an excellent relationship with the Amish community and they are hoping to eventually have both deputies in every Amish school within Geauga County.
Deputy Hudson and Deputy Walker, thank you for your dedication to the children and families of Geauga County. We appreciate your service.
Scott A. Hildenbrand
Sheriff
Original source can be found here.
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