New sheriff's DARE officer

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert has announced that Deputy Winifred Rodriguez has accepted the position of DARE Officer.
The DARE officer coordinates drug abuse resistance education for approximately 500 fifth grade students across the parish each school year.
Rodriguez is a five-year veteran in law enforcement. A 2013 graduate of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office POST Level I Training Academy, Rodriguez served in the criminal patrol division at the Franklin Police Department before moving to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in 2017.
Rodriguez graduated from the DARE Officer Training School in Pineville in August. During the 10-day training, Deputy Rodriguez gained the knowledge and skills necessary to return to St. Mary Parish and teach school children the “DARE Keepin’ It Real” curriculum.
Deputy Rodriguez says, “By becoming the DARE Officer in the parish that I was raised in, it gives me the opportunity to give back to my community in a positive way.”
The DARE program no longer focuses on drugs and drug abuse alone. It incorporates anti-bullying messages and other topics that give kids the tools to make safe and responsible decisions in their everyday lives.