Racine County Recognized for Drug Endangered Children Program
By
William L. McReynolds
Racine, WI – Racine County Executive Bill McReynolds has announced that it was one of three counties and one Indian tribe recently recognized for its Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Program. The recognition came at last week’s statewide conference of the Wisconsin Alliance on Drug Endangered
Children. Said McReynolds: “Few things are more important than protecting children from the consequences of drug possession, use, distribution, or manufacture in their homes. This multi-agency group is helping make Racine County a better and safer place for our children.”
DEC programs are multi-disciplinary teams typically consisting of members from law enforcement, human services, prosecutors, the medical community, the health department, and probation and parole. Through the DEC program, organizations within a community or tribe work together to enhance their response to the immediate needs of drug-endangered children and to gather adequate evidence to substantiate prosecution of appropriate endangerment and other charges.
McReynolds noted that Racine County’s program had drawn particular attention because it had been organized and implemented in only one year. He attributed that to a strong sense of commitment and collaboration among the participating agencies from all across the county: Racine County Human
Services Department, Sheriff’s Department, and District Attorney’s Office; the Police Departments of the Town and City of Burlington, Caledonia, Mount Pleasant, Norway, Racine, Sturtevant, and the Town and Village of Waterford; the City of Racine and South Shore Fire Departments; the Health Departments of the City of Racine, Caledonia/Mt. Pleasant, and Western Racine County; and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
At the conference, plaques were presented to the four recognized programs by Stephen P. Sinnott, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin; Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen; Wisconsin Corrections Secretary Rick Raemisch; Dennis Schuh of the Wisconsin Office of
Justice Assistance; and Kim Eithun-Harshner of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
Posted @ 2:25 a.m.
