Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)

This year, 36 million school children around the world — 26 million of whom are in the U.S. — will benefit from D.A.R.E. The program gives children skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, or violence.

Worthington D.A.R.E. at a glance

• Worthington has two D.A.R.E. officers: Kirk Honius (since 2000) and Dan Brouillet (since 2016).
• Worthington has had fifth grade D.A.R.E. since 1993 and over 1,600 students have participated. The fifth grade program lasts for 17 weeks. Worthington has had seventh grade D.A.R.E. since 1998; this program lasts for 11 weeks. The program includes a D.A.R.E. night at the YMCA sponsored by Wells Fargo and a D.A.R.E. trip to Arnolds Park each spring.
• D.A.R.E. is supported by community members such as Wells Fargo, Optimist Club, Kiwanis, Men’s VFW, Ladies VFW, YMCA, County Market, Hy-Vee, Appel Construction, Lioness Club, ISD 518, and many individual supporters. Parents and students of District 518 have shared positive feedback about the program.

Program details

Description

Officer-led, in-classroom anti-drug, anti-gang, anti-violence program for school children around the world.

Founded

September 1983

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Mission

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

Curriculum

Police officers receive 80 hours of special training to be equipped with tools to teach a course in drug resistance and violence avoidance techniques.

D.A.R.E. lessons focus on

Providing accurate information about alcohol and drugs, teaching decision-making skills, showing students how to resist peer pressure, and offering alternatives to drug use and violence.

Participating states and countries

All 50 states, U.S. Department of Defense Schools worldwide, and 52 countries around the world.

Trained officers

About 49,000

Traffic Enforcement

Safe and Sober Program

Safe & Sober Minnesota is a logo, a theme, and a set of projects relating to enhanced enforcement and publicity of the enforcement effort.

The program includes

• Periodic, intensified enforcement efforts such as saturation patrols or other enforcement.
• Media materials that explain when, where, how, and why these laws are being enforced.
• Local impact and activity data (crashes, injuries, seat belt use rates, and citations) gathered to provide feedback to the public.

The Worthington Police Department has been involved in this program from 1999 to the present and is a three-time winner of Safe & Sober grants. These grants have provided additional funding for traffic enforcement equipment and scheduled overtime for officers who participate in Safe & Sober “Waves.” The “Waves” are set times and dates that provide added enforcement for issues such as DWI and seat belt enforcement.

Our goal at the Worthington Police Department is to encourage behavior change and safer driving decisions. We plan to increase the number of overtime saturations next year while supporting on-duty staff with traffic enforcement.

Animal Control

The Animal Control Officer responds to calls regarding animals running at large in the City of Worthington and surrounding areas. The officer enforces City ordinances that apply to animals and recommends cases of neglect, abuse, and animal mistreatment for prosecution.

The Animal Control Officer and the City make a strong effort to place viable animals in caring homes and euthanize as few animals as possible. The City promotes humane treatment by encouraging responsible pet ownership and prosecuting those who neglect or abuse their pets.

The City of Worthington requires dog and cat owners to purchase a license for their pet. The 2024–25 licenses are available at the Worthington Police Department and the Veterinary Medical Center for a cost of $20 for spayed or neutered pets and $30 for pets that are not spayed or neutered. Proof of a current rabies vaccination is needed at the time of purchase. The license is required by February 1, 2024 to prevent a citation.

To report an animal running at large, report a neglected or abused animal, or learn more about pet adoption, call the Prairie Justice Center at (507) 372-8430.

Emergency Response Unit

The Worthington Police Department, in conjunction with the Nobles County Sheriff’s Department, started the original Emergency Response Unit (ERU) with approximately ten officers in 1986. The team has expanded to 13 officers and is made up of 11 City of Worthington police officers and 4 Nobles County deputies.

Officers assigned to the unit specialize in high-risk entry, hostage rescue, chemical munitions, multiple types of weaponry, negotiation techniques, less-lethal options, APC usage, riot control, and two sniper/scout teams.

The Worthington/Nobles County ERU handles situations including hostage subjects, suicidal persons, high-risk warrant service, barricaded subjects, and other public disturbances. ERU officers receive approximately 80 hours of additional training during the fiscal year. Each officer applies for duty as a member of the ERU, and team members gain tactical experience prior to serving as primary team members. Additional range and scenario training is held monthly.

K9 Unit

K9 Red

• K9 Red came to the department in 2023. His handler, Sergeant Riley, spent 13 weeks training with Red before graduating from Code Blue K9 LLC.

K9 Skol

K9 Skol came to WPD in 2024. He is a purebred German Shepherd from Slovakia and will be 2 years old in March. Skol and his handler, Officer Schroeder, spent 13 weeks at Code Blue K9 school in Rushford, Minnesota for training.

K9 Skol is a dual-purpose K9 certified through the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) in locating the odor of narcotics and patrol work. He can be used to locate the odor of multiple narcotics, locate and apprehend fleeing criminals, locate missing persons, locate evidence, and protect his handler.

K9 Skol’s name reflects his handler’s love for the Minnesota Vikings. Skol lives with Officer Schroeder and enjoys playing fetch, riding in the squad car, and running laps in the backyard.