State grant will finance half of Stow officer's salary

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by Kristin Casale

Associate Editor

Stow -- The Stow Police Department recently received a state grant that will finance half the salary of the department's D.A.R.E. officer.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education is an initiative designed to discourage children from taking drugs by educating them about the dangers associated with them.

"The state subsidizes the D.A.R.E. program every year," said Stow Police Chief Louis Dirker. "If you have a D.A.R.E. officer, you can apply for it."

According to Dirker, the grant totals $19,692, with D.A.R.E. officer Jim Barker's salary totaling $39,384 annually. As the D.A.R.E. officer, Barker spends each day of the 180-day school year traveling to schools in Stow and Munroe Falls instructing students.

Barker visits the elementary schools and travels in a special D.A.R.E. car outfitted with games and other features.

Additional grant available

Dirker said he is keeping an eye out for additional grant opportunities for the long-term future of the department, and one of those grants would finance the purchase of new bullet-proof vests.

He hopes to hire more officers for the 44-person department later this year, though he is unsure of how many. When new officers are hired, Dirker said, bullet-proof vests must be purchased to outfit them.

A federal grant is available each year for the purchase of the vests, he said, and in the near future Dirker plans to apply for the funds. The grant provides half the cost of the vests, with the city required to provide the remainder, according to Dirker. He said one bullet-proof vest costs $800.

E-mail: kcasale@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3917