VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In Virginia Beach, there's an effort to bring the D.A.R.E program back into schools after a string of violent incidents involving young people including a deadly shooting at Mt. Trashmore last weekend.
If you were in elementary school from the 80's to about 2015 chances are you were in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) program.
"So D.A.R.E was my first exposure to police, which may not be everybody's, but for me, it was the first time I met policemen," Brandon Lee who was in the program when he was in 5th grade said.
Law enforcement would come into classrooms and teach students about the dangers of drug use and violent crime.
The program ended in Virginia Beach schools back in 2015 due to costs, staffing shortages and questions over the program's effectiveness.
"It's hard to measure how successful it was, but I think the modern-day D.A.R.E can be very successful in schools," Virginia Beach Sheriff Rocky Holcomb, said.
Holcomb is trying to spark a renewed interest in bringing back D.A.R.E.
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Holcomb is confident an updated course meets kids where they are today.
"It teaches them how to solve problems like the cyber-bullying and the bullying that we see," Holcomb said. "How to say no to gangs and how to make the right choices when confronted with problems."
D.A.R.E is still used in other Hampton Roads Schools including Portsmouth and York-Poquoson.
Sheriff Ron Montgomery with the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office, said they have used the program since its beginning.
He said they now use an updated course and revisit students when they are in middle school.
"Now it's a lot about making good decisions, about peer pressure, how to avoid peer pressure, how to be affirmative in your conversations when you stand up for yourself," Montgomery said.
The D.A.R.E program did not make it to this year's budget in Virginia Beach.
Earlier this month, during a presentation on a D.A.R.E program to the Virginia Beach School Board, some board members raised concerns about the cost of the program.
It would cost $1.9 million to get the program started back up again, and some board members felt some of the lessons from the program were already being taught.
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State leaders like Congresswoman Jen Kiggans have shown support for bringing the program back and have shared the sheriff's office post on Facebook.
Holcomb said he will continue to look at ways the program can be funded either through the state or local level.
He also plans to come back next budget cycle season and request funding for D.A.R.E.
