Crime & Safety

East Haven Police: D.A.R.E. Program Returns to Schools in October

Dave Torello, a 19-year veteran of the East Haven Police Department, has been named the town's new D.A.R.E. officer.

The following is a press release submitted by the .

The D.A.R.E. Program is returning to for the 2012-2013 school year, beginning in October!

The D.A.R.E. Mission

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D.A.R.E.’s primary mission is to provide children with the information and skills they need to live drug-and-violence-free lives.

The mission is to equip kids with the tools that will enable them to avoid negative influences and instead, allow them to focus on their strengths and potential, and that’s exactly what D.A.R.E. is designed to do.

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Additionally, it establishes positive relationships between students and law enforcement, teachers, parents, and other community leaders. 

Every youngster should have the opportunity to grow-up healthy, safe, secure, and equipped with the skills needed to succeed in life.

Contemporary America, however, is rampant with challenges that could keep children from a positive life path.

East Haven Police D.A.R.E. Officer

Officer Dave Torello (Officer Dave) has recently completed the D.A.R.E. Officer Training Program. 

Officer Torello is a veteran of 19 years on the East Haven P.D. and has been a patrol officer during that time. 

Also, along with his certification as a D.A.R.E. Officer, Officer Torello holds a certification as a School Resource Officer (S.R.O.). 

East Haven D.A.R.E. Curriculum

D.A.R.E. will be taught to grades K-5 in the public and private schools in East Haven. The D.A.R.E. curricula for 5th grade Elementary School focus u pon the abuse of gateway drugs (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and inhalants).

The program offers a preventive strategy to enhance protective factors — especially bonding to family, school and community — which research has shown to foster development of resiliency in students who may be at risk for substance abuse or other problem behaviors.

The program employs the use of the D.A.R.E. decision making model in which students are provided skills to use in developing and assessing choices they make in life.

The emphasis of the lessons of the K-4 Visitation Program is to assist the D.A.R.E.

Officers in educating children to help them keep safe, drug-free, and violence-free, and to teach them to recognize, avoid, and report situations which may endanger their personal health and safety.

East Haven Police Department is proud to have the D.A.R.E. Program return to 
East Haven Schools.

Officer Torello is excited to begin teaching the D.A.R.E. Program to the children of East Haven and to continue building good relationships with our youth. 


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