HOULTON, Maine — The Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that it had received a donation of $10,000 from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) to be used toward the department’s dog program.
The D.A.R.E program — recently reinstated by the ACSO after being phased out 15 years ago — works to prevent drug use, gang membership and other violent behavior. The program has been run by local police departments in recent years.
The program also provides education to students regarding the dangers of drug use. It was founded in 1983 by then-Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates.
Police dogs are particularly useful for anti-drug operations, as they can be trained to detect and sniff out illegal drugs that may be on a person or in their residence.
The Aroostook Sheriff’s Department currently has one dog in active service, which is based in northern Aroostook County. With the donation, the department will look to add another for the southern Aroostook region.
“With the help of great organizations like this, it is easier to provide an added level of security to the communities we serve,” said Sheriff Shawn Gillen.
