Hamlin County, SD - D.A.R.E. Program

D.A.R.E. Program

Welcome to the Hamlin County Sheriff's Office D.A.R.E. program page. Our D.A.R.E. instructors, Deputy Tristan Molitor and Chief Deputy Tayt Alexander are in every school within the county teaching 5th graders the D.A.R.E. program. We invite you to check out the information below about the program.

The D.A.R.E. program was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and has been proven successful across the nation. Currently, 75 percent of all schools in the United States have the D.A.R.E. program to include all three schools within Hamlin County.

D.A.R.E. is led by a law enforcement officer who teaches a series of classroom lessons from resisting peer pressure, bullying, and making safe and responsible choices. Officers who lead these lessons must pass a certification course in Pierre before stepping into the classroom.

According to D.A.R.E. American... there are numerous reasons for D.A.R.E.’s success. Its unparalleled delivery system utilizing law enforcement officers as instructors and the fact that it was the first program of its kind anywhere in the world have individually and collectively played a critical role in D.A.R.E.’s growth and expansion. However, to remain relevant, effective, and impactful requires much more… it requires the critical review and substantive contributions of highly respected experts in the field of education, science, and law enforcement. And it also needs the intelligent comments and recommendations of the program’s audience – school children. To this end, several years ago D.A.R.E. established three key Advisory Committees (listed below), in addition to D.A.R.E. Instructors Advisory Committee and Youth Advisory Board, the members of which are actively engaged in the development and implementation of virtually all aspects of the D.A.R.E. program.

The Hamlin County Sheriff's Office D.A.R.E. instructors teach the ten lesson D.A.R.E. program to the 5th-grade students throughout the school year. At the end of lessons, students received a D.A.R.E. graduation, celebrating the student's accomplishments and participation in the program. During graduation, the students receive D.A.R.E. shirts funded by the area schools or local businesses, certificate of completion, and a few selected winners are awarded for their D.A.R.E. essay and poster.