Allison Sommerfeld, Officer with the Seward Police Department shared information on the D.A.R.E. program at the Seward Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at the Jones Bank auditorium.
Chief Baldwin, program chair, introduced Allison sharing the areas of expertise that she brings to the Seward Police Department with Investigations, Evidence Management, Officer Training, the D.A.R.E. program and the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force.
Allison Sommerfeld, Officer with the Seward Police Department shared information on the D.A.R.E. program at the Seward Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at the Jones Bank auditorium.
Chief Baldwin, program chair, introduced Allison sharing the areas of expertise that she brings to the Seward Police Department with Investigations, Evidence Management, Officer Training, the D.A.R.E. program and the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force.
Officer Sommerfeld gave a review of the D.A.R.E program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). The program focusses on giving students the skills they need to avoid involvement with drugs, resist peer pressure and live productive violence-free lives. Their Mission is to teach students good decision-making skills to help them lead safe and healthy lives. The program goes beyond Drug Abuse addressing issues of personal responsibility, bullying and decision making. There are also programs available with specific focus areas including marijuana use, opiates, vaping and suicide to address the needs of the community.
Program resources include education from grade school through high school. The program in Seward is for 5 th Grade students. It is a ten-week educational session including a required essay from each participate at the end of the program to qualify for graduation. Graduates from the program receive a T-shirt, celebrate at a graduation ceremony and enjoy a pizza party at the end of the year.
Officer Sommerfeld also gave a description of the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force and explained the process involved in discovering, locating and brining to justice those who prey on children through the internet.
Following her presentation, Officer Sommerfeld took general questions from the group and taking the group through a standard procedure for traffic stops. She also shared that her inspiration for going into law enforcement began with her Grandfather who served as a Colorado Police Officer. She found the idea of being a public servant valuable and respectable. She finds the work challenging but also rewarding especially in the areas of educating and influencing people in living safely and building a positive relationship with law enforcement.