The Hennepin County sheriff’s office said it’s becoming the first law enforcement agency in the nation to work with Minnesota D.A.R.E. on a new pilot program.

The pilot will allow retired deputies to teach D.A.R.E. to students.

The name stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It’s a police officer-led series of lessons taught from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Because of budgets cuts at law enforcement agencies and schools, D.A.R.E. has trouble keeping up with the demand for cops to teach it. So D.A.R.E.’s national leadership has now authorized the pilot program.

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek says it will make D.A.R.E. programs more cost-effective and accessible. It will start with one retired deputy for now.