|
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Steve Santarsiero |
|
MEDIA ADVISORY
Santarsiero donating COLA to keep local D.A.R.E program alive
HARRISBURG, Dec. 20 – State Rep. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bucks, will present funds to Lower Makefield Police Chief Kenneth Coluzzi and Newtown Township Police Chief Rick Pasqualini at
2 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 22, at his district office located at 277 N. Sycamore Street, Newtown
Santarsiero will donating his annual Cost of Living Adjustment to keep the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program running in Lower Makefield and Newtown townships.
Since taking office Dec. 1, 2008, Santarsiero had written a check to the state Treasury each month to return the automatic COLA given to state legislators. Since June 1, Santarsiero has deposited the $288.24 representing both the 2008 and 2010 COLAs into a new account, which will be divided between the Newtown and Lower Makefield township police departments for the D.A.R.E. programs.
"The D.A.R.E. program is effective and should be expanded instead of eliminated," said Santarsiero, who has participated in the D.A.R.E. program since he was a Lower Makefield Township supervisor. "I applaud these police departments for remaining committed to this important community service even under difficult fiscal times."
Santarsiero said state funding for this program has decreased steadily over the years – between 1999 and 2009, funding for this vital program dropped from $4 million to less than $1 million. Gov. Rendell eliminated the program in 2010 and this year Gov. Corbett failed to restore any state funding to the program.
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program is a highly-acclaimed police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug- and violence-free lives. It is in 75 percent of our nation's school districts and in more than 43 countries around the world.
Here in Pennsylvania, more than 860 officers are trained in the D.A.R.E. program. In the past, the state would reimburse local police departments $10,000 to $12,000 for the D.A.R.E. program, depending on the size of the community. However, without that funding, many police departments are not able to facilitate this program.
Media coverage is invited.
###