Cape Girardeau patrolwoman wins Missouri DARE Officer of the Year award

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - A Cape Girardeau police woman recently won the Missouri DARE officer of the year award.

Patrolwoman A.C. Walker served as the Cape Girardeau DARE officer for two-and-a-half years. Walker used her own experience growing up as the daughter of a drug dealer to demonstrate to school children that they can improve their lives by making the right choices.

Walker says the DARE program helps kids see police officers in a different light.

"Otherwise it’s working on an accident or if there has been an emergency in their home. It’s a scary moment so they can’t bond with that officer during that," Walker says. "With the DARE program, it’s not a scary situation. It’s a much more relaxed setting. It’s at their terms, as to how comfortable they want to get and how involved they want to be."

Even though Walker received the Missouri DARE Officer of the Year Award, she has been transferred to patrol duty. However, she is now president of the Missouri DARE Association.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

Posted in: Cape Girardeau police,DARE Program