As a result, officers make excellent resources for county students in sharing the dangers of drug use.

To that end, officers spoke to students at St. Joseph School last week as part of Red Ribbon Week, part of the largest drug-abuse prevention campaign in the country.

“On Wednesday, the theme was ‘Sock IT to DRUGS,'” Conewango Township Police Officer Charlie Andersen said.

He said that officers from his department, City of Warren police, Youngsville police, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Warren county detectives “all were assigned to speak to children about the danger and misuse of drugs.

Photo provided to the Times Observer Chief County Detective Tom Kibbey, with K9 Dina, speaking to students last week at St. Joseph Catholic School.

“I believe this event went well and there was a demonstration from K9 Dina and also K9 Olive,” he added.

Red Ribbon dates to 1985 when people started wearing red ribbons in response to the murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent and as a “symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America,” according to the group.

The first national Red Ribbon event followed three years later.