The Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department has an active educational effort in place to address current and future concerns of drug abuse in our community. The sheriff's department is active in middle schools throughout the county with the CounterAct program. CounterAct is designed for the education of young students in the fifth and sixth grades. This program alerts students and parents to the problems in society, and particularly the Sheboygan County community on the use and abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol.The program is a multi-media presentation designed to give the students oppurtunities to interact with officers and discuss such concerns as: peer pressures, effects of drugs and alcohol, legal consequences, and how to help end drug and alcohol abuse in their community. the education sessions are conducted by deputies in the classroom setting. Much of the funding for the program is provided by the "Drug Forfeiture Fund." This fund contains money that is paid as a result of a person receiving a drug related conviction in Sheboygan County.The sheriff's department feels that education is one of the cornerstones that must be established in the community to control the drug and alcohol abuse problem in the nation. Starting with children at a young age, gives them the foundation and understanding necessary to avoid these temptations in the future.Currently, the CounterAct program is taught by Deputy Brian Beernink, to the fifth grade students at Random Lake, Batavia, and Howard's Grove. _____________________________________
