POCATELLO — The Pocatello Police Department recently added a new vehicle to its fleet that will double-dog-D.A.R.E. you to resist drugs and alcohol.

When patrolman Jordan Johnson became the department’s new Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., officer last August, it was apparent that the existing Dodge Charger D.A.R.E. car — the oldest vehicle in commission — was well overdue for an upgrade, said Pocatello police Sgt. Trent Whitney, who oversees Johnson and the department’s school resource officers.

And that upgrade came in the form of a retired Idaho Central Credit Union “Green Machine” — a 2014 Jeep Sahara donated at no cost to the Pocatello Police Department.

“We initially looked at buying a used Jeep and then contacted Idaho Central to see what they did with their old Green Machines,” Whitney said. “They said they had never been done with one yet and so we asked to buy one at a reduced cost. Michael Watson then talked to the CEO, Kent Oram, who said, ‘I’ll tell you what, how does a free donation sound?’”

Whitney continued, “Johnson and I were like, you must be kidding us.”

The donated Jeep was no joke, and neither was the $9,000 of donated funds Whitney and Johnson spent equipping the vehicle with as many lights and speakers as you would find in a downtown nightclub. Some distributors and installers offered discounts up to 90 percent off the retail price, Whitney said.

The D.A.R.E. Jeep boasts Heise LED Halo head, tail and fog lights, in addition to turn signals, side markers and a 50-inch spotlight above the windshield.

Whelen-installed lights on the dash, front bumper, side panels and a custom lightbar along the length of the vehicle below the step guards and another attached to the rear spare tire mount.

In addition to the standard car speakers, Whitney had Ideal Audio install an amplifier and dual battery system to power four Rockford Fosgate boat-tower speakers fixed to the roll bar that remain attached to the Jeep even with the doors and shell removed.

The Utah-based TeraFlex Suspensions provided the 3-inch suspension and lift kit so that the Commercial Tire-installed Firestone tires that are wrapped around 35-inch Moto Metal Buckshot wheels, could really shine, Whitney said.

“We designed the vinyl wrap with one of the guys at SignUp Signs and Graphics,” Whitney said. “We modeled it after a P-51 Mustang complete with the exhaust decal, specialized nose art, and the iconic checkerboard decal down both sides.”

The Jeep even has a warning sign on the driver side door of an ejection seat installed for those who choose not to resist drugs or alcohol. And rather than downed enemy planes, tally marks on both sides show how many D.A.R.E. classes Johnson teaches each year.

“The tail number is a morph between Johnson’s badge number and my own,” Whitney said. “And there are also little cookies throughout the vehicle that are barely visible, with phrases like ‘not even once,’ and the kids just love to try and find them hidden throughout.”

But the presence of the new D.A.R.E. Jeep isn’t intended for youth members of the community alone, Whitney added.

“This is something to get the kids excited, but it’s also something to remind adults that have graduated from the program what it was all about,” Whitney said. “I look at it as if someone is using drugs or alcohol today and they come over and look at the D.A.R.E. Jeep they can’t help but think of the choices they are making and hopefully this will be enough for them to remember the hard work and support from D.A.R.E. officers like Johnson and think it’s time to get clean.”

Launched in 1983, D.A.R.E. is a comprehensive K-12 education program taught throughout thousands of schools in America, including those part of the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25. D.A.R.E. curriculum addresses drugs, violence, bullying, internet safety and other high-risk circumstances that today are too often a part of students’ lives.

“D.A.R.E. has been around for such a long time that at the beginning of the year I conducted a program graduation in the same auditorium where I graduated from D.A.R.E.,” Johnson said. “The curriculum has updated and changed significantly from when it was taught to me and what it boils down to is it really enforces good decision making.”

Johnson continued, “We don’t spend a ton of time on what’s out there anymore, so we focus on how to make good decisions, how to follow through with them and how to form a good support group of friends and family. We also focus on things like bullying and internet safety, so really it’s an all-inclusive youth education program.”

Whitney expects to host an unveiling of the new D.A.R.E. Jeep in the near future, hopefully next week, he said.

In addition to the sponsors and donors above, Whitney and Johnson stressed the importance of contributions from McDonald’s, Simplot, Chad’s Rentals, Taurus Natural Manufacturing LLC., Devere Trucking, Blackrock Accessories and Motor Sports, Clark Wireless, Outer Limits Fun Zone, Paul’s Trophies, Portneuf Health Partners and Colonial Funeral Home.

“The kids will love this Jeep, obviously, and they’ll ask about the sponsor names on the side,” Johnson said. “And I’ll remind them that those names stand for a group of people that have invested in you. What these names show is how much these people and businesses care about you and that’s what this whole vehicle represents.”

Johnson continued, “As cool as this Jeep is, this is about a community coming together and showing how much they care about the youth.”