U.S. Attorney General Speaks at D.A.R.E. Training Conference

The United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says the two main threats to young Americans today are methamphetamines and gangs.

Gonzales was the keynote speaker today at the Drug Abuse Resistance Education training conference at the Opryland Hotel. In his speech, Gonzales said the nation’s law enforcement is taking a “two-fold” approach to dealing with these issues.

He says the police are working on tough punishment for drug and gang-related violence. He also says introducing youths to programs that will keep them busy and discourage them from joining gangs and doing drugs is a priority.

“When a child has chosen the Boys and Girls Club instead of gang life, when a felon reenters society with new goals and is not looking to hang out with the same people who got him in trouble in the first place, and when kids are playing baseball in the police athletic leagues instead of doing drugs, our jobs, collectively in law enforcement, get easier and America’s neighborhoods become safer places to live.”

For the rest of the week, D.A.R.E. will have training workshops for its officers and law enforcement officers from across the country and around the world.