April is a big month for Clinton Police Chief Ben Lowers and the DARE program in Clinton schools.

Wednesday morning on the WHOW morning show, Chief Lowers indicates the program has a lot happening this month. They'll be taking a handful of students to Springfield to meet with local lawmakers and gather with other DARE students and officers.

Next week, high school students will visit the DARE students to talk about their experiences after they took the DARE course. Chief Lowers notes DARE projects are presented the week after. 

Chief Lowers indicates DARE is a program that means a lot to him. He enjoys being with the kids but also feels it is one of the many community outreach opportunities the department does to engage the youth that he hopes pays dividends down the road.

As students move through the school system, they again encounter law enforcement during Officer Mike Bennett's awareness classes he leads, they see law enforcement during their driver's education classroom curriculum, and Chief Lowers says those all provide positive interaction opportunities he hopes leads to bridging the gap between society and law enforcement.