Frank Pegueros — Answering D.A.R.E.'s Critics, and What the Job Costs | Part 2

Did D.A.R.E. work? The academic who authored the research saying it didn't now chairs D.A.R.E.'s scientific advisory board.

In 2000, D.A.R.E. did something organizations under attack almost never do: it invited its critics into a room and asked them how to fix the program. Frank Pegueros — a retired LAPD captain, now President and CEO of D.A.R.E. America — describes how the first day went badly, and how by the second day the room turned. One of those critics, Dr. Dick Clayton, asked to go through the training as a participant rather than an observer. He now sits on D.A.R.E.'s board. (Part 1 linked below.)

Before that, Pegueros talks about what the work does to the people who do it. Officers take the school assignment expecting a soft landing before retirement, and report seeing a positive reaction to their efforts for the first time on a daily basis. Bill Erfurth tells the story of finding a fellow sergeant's son on a set of latent prints.

He also addresses fentanyl and why cutting overdose deaths to 80,000 a year is not a win, online bullying and what platforms could stop if they wanted to, and the real decline in teenage drinking. Asked by a reporter to name the most dangerous drug on the streets, his answer is alcohol.

⚠ Contains discussion of suicide, including officer suicide, and some strong language. If you're struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 in the US — call or text 988.

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📋 Watch the full playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2wve6lDC8CG05NH7uNQXc2fS8aW_hOeY&si=yvaW_8jLlr7q1D5L
🔗 Part 1: https://youtu.be/pJjP9O1h6BA
🌐 Listen to the audio version at: https://heroesbehindthebadge.com/

Timestamps:
0:00 — A Gang Leader Walks Up to a Sheriff
1:52 — Why Parents Meet Officers Only on Bad Days
5:53 — Arresting a Fellow Cop's Son
9:21 — What a Classroom Assignment Gives Back to a Career Officer
4:25 — Fentanyl, One Pill, and 80,000 Deaths a Year
20:32 — Why Teenage Drinking Is Actually Falling
28:44 — The Critics Summit and Dr. Dick Clayton
29:42 — Brazil, Bahrain, and Anti-Extremism Lessons

Keywords:
Frank Pegueros, D.A.R.E. America, DARE criticism, DARE research debunked, Dick Clayton prevention research, LAPD captain interview, school resource officer value, DARE officer, police officer suicide, law enforcement mental health, fentanyl overdose deaths declining, teen drinking decline, alcohol most dangerous drug, online bullying platforms, social media accountability, COVID impact students, Ken Furlong Carson City, DARE Brazil Bahrain, law enforcement podcast

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