D.A.R.E. started in 1983 in Los Angeles, California, it started as a joint effort between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles Police Department. L.A. was having a serious problems with gangs and drugs and these two establishments designed a curriculum with the idea that a uniformed police officer would go into the classroom and teach the curriculum.

D.A.R.E. is taught in West Bridgewater by Officer Ken Thaxter. Officer Thaxter instucts the students in the core curriculum which is the sixth grade in our community. D.A.R.E.'s core curriculum targets students in the fifth or sixth grade depending on the commnity. The idea is to target students that will be going to Jr. High the following year.

Officer Thaxter teaches D.A.R.E. at the Howard Elementary School one day a week with the four sixth grade classes.

Officer Thaxter also makes visits to the pre-schoolers and grades K through 3. D.A.R.E. has a K through 12 curriculum. At present D.A.R.E. is updating it's whole curriculum and all D.A.R.E.officer's worldwide will soon be trained in the new curriculum.

West Bridgewater is maintaining the D.A.R.E. program even with the funding cuts. Specific information about D.A.R.E. in West Bridgewater can be obtained by contacting our D.A.R.E. Officer Ken Thaxter at kthaxter@wbpd.com