Harlan County Courthouse

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Harlan County announced a new county run drug education program during a recent press conference at the Harlan County Courthouse.

Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley, Harlan County Sheriff Chris Brewer, and an Operation UNITE President Tom Vicini were on hand for the conference.

Mosley opened the conference with the announcement of the county’s new D.A.R.E. program.

“We have an exciting announcement today relating to something that is going to go into effect in the next fiscal year budget,” Mosley said. “We are thrilled today to announce something the sheriff and I have been working on for the last several months in coordination with the opioid settlement funds. We are creating a D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program here in Harlan County.”

Mosley stated the program will be county run and funded with money obtained from a recent nationwide opioid settlement.

“Many of you remember the D.A.R.E. program in the schools,” Mosley said. “We’ve not had a program like that in the county in many years. We’re excited to be able to bring this back through the opioid settlement funds that we have received as a part of the large opioid settlement nationwide that is sending resources to state, county and city governments across the nation.”

Mosley said while drug enforcement is a priority, drug education for children is also needed.

“Over the course of the last decade or so, the children have been the ones we haven’t seen a lot (done) for as it relates to the drug problem,” Mosley said. “Many of these kids have grown up in homes that have drug abuse or they’re seeing trafficking take place.”

Mosley noted the program will be a beacon of hope for the children of the community.

Brewer pointed out the program will be in every school in the county.

“We’re really excited to get into the schools and do what we can,” Brewer said.

Brewer then introduced the new Harlan County D.A.R.E. Officer, Harlan County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Sargent.

Sargent has been serving as SRO at Wallins Elementary School.

“I will be taking over the D.A.R.E. program to pair education and empowerment with enforcement,” Sargent said. “We’ve been hitting the adults and trying to get the drugs off the street, but one of the key elements we’re going to bring is education…to deter them before they ever have to see us knocking on the door.”

Sargent said he hopes the program will cause people not to view Harlan County as a place of addiction but instead as a place of hope.

Vicini stated Sargent is an excellent choice to head the D.A.R.E. program in Harlan County.

“It does my heart good to know that Harlan County is going to be focusing on this prevention effort,” Vicini said. “We need someone from law enforcement in the schools everyday teaching students about the dangers of substance abuse. I know Josh personally; I know him to be a kind and caring individual who will really put his heart and soul into this. I don’t think the Fiscal Court could have made a better choice.”