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Anti-drug D.A.R.E. effort began at sheriff's office
McCOOK, Neb. -- Also in the 1990s, Sheriff Gene Mahon took another approach to the growing drug problem -- that of prevention -- by implementing D.A.R.E. classes in Red Willow County. Encouraging life slogans like "Dare to dream," "Dare to believe" and "Dare to achieve" are outside the grasp of even the strongest child or teen if he or she is in the choke-hold of drugs and alcohol and other negative pressures in their young lives. That's where D.A.R.E. comes in.
D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It is a classroom curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade that teaches youngsters and teens how to live healthy lives, avoiding and resisting the addictions that can kill their dreams and ruin their lives.
Gene's officers Donny Sailors and Amber Hiatt taught D.A.R.E. classes at Southwest Public Schools and St. Patrick's Catholic School in McCook. Dep. Justin Davis continues classes at SW today.
"We had a very positive response to our D.A.R.E. classes, with Donny and Amber," Gene said. "Amber was a fantastic D.A.R.E. officer." And Justin continues that tradition, he said.
Gene said that Sailors, Hiatt and Davis taught/teach the D.A.R.E. classes in addition to their regular duties.
Gene's department has never been big enough that officers can spend all of his/her time in one specialized area of law enforcement, but he firmly believes that each of his officer's dedication to the job and the department's mission helps makes it effective and successful.
Gene acknowledges that his goal of having enough officers to provide 24/7 coverage of the entire county during all three shifts 365 days a year was not accomplished. "We never had the budget to provide that depth of coverage," Gene said, but on-call officers are always available when the need is there.
"I was always fortunate to have officers dedicated enough to work more hours to get the job done right," he said. " ... officers who wanted the D.A.R.E. and dog programs ... those who wanted to do drug investigations ... to be on an emergency response team."
Gene also had a "Posse," volunteers who did not carry weapons, and a Reserve Deputy program with certified officers who were armed. "My Reserves helped with manpower at little cost of the county," Gene said.
The Posse program phased out as volunteer ranks thinned, and the Reserve program is down to three officers because the State of Nebraska requires that even reserves must complete academy training.
"My officers were willing to give a lot to make sure the job got done in Red Willow County," Gene said. "That's why the Red Willow County sheriff's department is so successful -- because of the dedicated staff -- the deputies and the office and jail staff."
There hasn't been a lot of turnover in Red Willow County deputies and office staff. Alan was a deputy for 20 years; Joe Koetter for 14 years; Steve Kotschwar for 7 years. Diana Wilkinson has been the office manager for 18 years.
Gene is pleased that Red Willow County has a new jail. The old jail was closed by the state in 1983 and since then, the sheriff's department has held the county's prisoners in the City of McCook's 96-hour holding facility and transported them to and from jails in Hitchcock, Frontier, Phelps and Dawson counties in Nebraska and in Decatur County in Kansas.
Transporting prisoners -- the safety of officers, the public, the prisoner -- always concerned Gene. He said they were fortunate that the worst never transpired, thanks to the vigilance and training of his supervisors and officers.
Gene is grateful that the county commissioners decided to build a new jail, eliminating not only the threats associated with prisoner transport, but also its financial cost and the time it took away from deputies' other duties.
The new 30-bed jail opened in September a year ago, eliminating the need to transport prisoners and providing 14 new jobs in the county. "It was a real struggle to get the jail built," Gene said, referring to three unsuccessful elections. To build the jail without an election, Gene said, "was one of the best decisions by our county commissioners."
Gene is equally pleased with the relationship his department developed with the small communities of the county -- Marion, Danbury, Lebanon, Bartley and Indianola. "My goal of building trust between them and my department I think was accomplished," he said. "My officers have done a good job communicating with the residents of the small communities. They consider every situation equally important, all problems, big or small."
Gene continued, "We are available to all our communities and our residents. That's the best thing a sheriff's department can do -- listen."
"I've always trained my officers to treat people professionally and politely. Treat all people the same," Gene said. "I've always felt my department was fair in our treatment of people."
Gene pointed out that it is not a law enforcement officer's responsibility to judge anyone. Officers do what they have to do to help get people out of the situation they're in, Gene said. Alan added, "We do our job the best we can to complete that task," and then turn it all over to the county attorney.
Gene said, "As an officer, if you've done your job and turned it over to the county attorney, your job is done. Now, let it go. It's up to the county attorney and the courts now to do their jobs."