Up until 2001, the Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department did not have a DARE Bureau or a police officer that was trained to teach the DARE program. In February of 2001, Officer Matthew Muenzen completed the DARE Basic training at the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute. Today, Officer Muenzen and the Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department participate in two programs involving DARE.

The NHRHS STOP Program was created when the police chiefs from the four communities that attend Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, along with the high school's health teachers, expanded the High School DARE program and developed an additional five day program entitled "S.T.O.P." - Student Teacher Officer Partnership against impaired driving. The STOP program focuses on DWI and the hazards of unsupervised home drinking parties, which are especially dangerous for any regional high school as students travel long distances to party with student peers.

The second reason that Officer Muenzen became a DARE officer was so that a DARE program could be started at the Ho-Ho-Kus Public School. As of 2001, there were only three school districts in Bergen County that did not have a DARE program, Ho-Ho-Kus being one of them. Starting in the 2001-2002 school year, DARE will be taught to all students in the 6th grade at the school. This was made possible with the assistance of the Superintendent of the school, Ms. Loretta Bellina.

While the Juvenile Bureau of the police department is concerned with the intervention of criminal problems involving juveniles, the DARE program is concerned with prevention. Therefore, Officer Muenzen does not directly handle any disciplinary actions with the students.

Officer Muenzen makes himself available at anytime to the students of Ho-Ho-Kus and Northern Highlands through E-mail or by contacting headquarters at 652-1700. If Officer Muenzen is not working when a student or parent contacts headquarters with a question or concern, then the person's name and phone number is acquired, and Officer Muenzen is contacted with the information. All information is kept confidential unless the student or parent requests further action.

LINKS:

NHRHS STOP PROGRAM	http://www.allendalepd.org/NHSTOP.htm
DARE	http://www.dare.com
DARE OF NEW JERSEY	http://www.darenj.org
ALLENDALE PD DARE	http://www.allendalepd.org/DAREhome.htm
SADDLE RIVER PD DARE	http://www.saddleriverpd.com/D.A.R.E.1.htm