I will start off by saying that I grew up in Surrey, BC, and attended public school there from 1993 to 2005. While attending elementary school I was able to take part in a program that was sponsored by the RCMP, albeit not D.A.R.E., it was a drug awareness program.

I can remember a police officer coming into my class and showing the 'Types of Drugs' board, and providing reasons not to do drugs. There was not a lot of interaction or facilitation between us, the inquisitive student and the stoic Mountie, that had to present bare facts to a group of Grade four and five students.

Let's skip forward to 2010, where I have been placed in the same situation as the police officer that day so many years ago. As a D.A.R.E. officer, I now get to impress and facilitate information on the young minds in my community.

It is refreshing to see how eager the kids are to learn the D.A.R.E. information and impart it to those around them. This program brings out the best in the community and changes the scope of my career.

I get to see the other side of my job. The side that lacks in-your-face violence, theft and anger towards authority.

I am proud to have received D.A.R.E. training and I am eager to keep developing healthy relationships with my community and the youth within it.

Cst. K. FELKAR
Terrace RCMP