WAILUKU — The Maui Police Department calls state Rep. Joe Bertram III's criticism of its DARE program "offensive."

In a letter sent last week to MPD, Bertram suggested that the department eliminate marijuana eradication programs and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, which has police officers teaching an anti-drug and anti-alcohol curriculum in elementary and intermediate schools.

Eight Maui police officers, including ones in Hana and on Molokai and Lanai, teach in 26 public and private schools throughout Maui County. The instruction, which includes teaching children to resist peer pressure, occurs for students in kindergarten, third and fifth grades and either seventh or eighth grades.

In the letter dated April 15, Bertram said the DARE program "has proven to be unsuccessful." He said the marijuana eradication program "infringes on the privacy of medical marijuana patients, and the noise (from helicopter surveillance) is a disturbance of the peace."

Bertram's letter said he was suggesting that the two programs be cut because the state and counties are facing a budget crunch.

"Even though these are passing through federal funds, the County of Maui expends funds on these programs, which could be eliminated," Bertram said.

The Democrat, who represents South Maui, has pushed for state legislation to allow secure marijuana-growing facilities for medical marijuana patients registered in the state. Current law allows registered patients or a designated caregiver to grow three mature marijuana plants and four immature plants and to possess up to 3 ounces of usable marijuana. Bertram, who has said he is a registered medical marijuana caregiver, also has supported decriminalizing possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana.

Responding to Bertram's letter, Maui police Deputy Chief Gary Yabuta said, "We were quite aware of Representative Bertram's position on the legalization of marijuana issue. However, we find his criticism of the DARE Program offensive."

In March, police Chief Tom Phillips raised the prospect of having to cut back crime-prevention programs, including school resource officers and DARE, if funding for positions were cut.

But at a Maui County Police Commission meeting last week, Phillips said more recent funding proposals have called for cutting funding for 25 police positions instead of the 37 positions estimated earlier.

"Right now, we're not planning any cuts," he said.

If prevention programs need to be cut, Phillips said, a first step would be to have officers work part time in such programs so that they also can work in patrol and reduce overtime hours there.