Because of tight budgets across the country, the program has been cut in a great deal of communities and also has lost its effectiveness.

Here in Newton County, because of the financial contributions from the elected officials of Covington and many individual and business donations and with the cooperation of law enforcement and school officials of the area, the program has actually thrived.

But because the federal and state funds that helped build the program are now nonexistent, Covington Police Chief Stacey Cotton made a wise fiscal decision to stop offering the program in the county for now.

Cotton said he was sorry to have to nix the program, but that it was the right business decision to make at this time.

We applaud Chief Cotton for helping make this tough decision.

It is a shame, but we are going to see more and more programs like the D.A.R.E. program go by the way side until this economy improves.