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Dare I say...
Moorhead to get new DARE car
Helping kids make good choices about drugs and alcohol is easier with a sweet ride.
Moorhead City Council Monday night approved spending $34,500 on a 2004 Chevrolet SSR, a sleek cross between a pickup and a Corvette convertible.
DARE officer Deric Swenson told the council the SSR would replace the 1984 Corvette that has been the DARE car since 1998.
He said the Corvette has racked up 91,000 miles and required $2,800 in repairs the past two years.
A high-profile, splashy vehicle acts as a symbol for the DARE program and reminds children of its lessons, Swenson said.
About 7,000 Moorhead sixth-graders have completed the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in 15 years.
The council approved the purchase, which will draw money from a fund generated by property forfeited by drunken drivers, on a 7-1 vote.
The lone dissenter was Greg Lemke, a Fargo police sergeant who for many years worked with the DARE program in North Dakota.
"That seems awful steep to me," he said of the price tag.
The $35,000 price, offered by The Big Lot, 2710 2nd Ave. N., includes a discount of more than $12,000 from the sticker.
Police Chief Grant Weyland defended the purchase, saying the truck will only be used for special occasions.
"Obviously, a car is not going to keep kids off drugs," Swenson said.
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