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BEAT THE HEAT is a program put on by Officers of Northeast Wisconsin area Police Departments designed to draw community youth and police together. We have accomplished this through getting involved in an interest shared by most young people, vehicles and racing. Over 150 Beat the Heat programs exist across the United States and Canada. ABOUT THE PROGRAM Northeast Wisconsin Beat the Heat is a corporation dedicated to "promoting traffic safety, drug and alcohol awareness, and building relationships between police officers and kids of all ages; to make the public aware of the human, caring side of police officers". PROGRAM IDEA Northeast Wisconsin police officers wanted to find a unique new way to reach our local youth. We've accomplished this through getting involved in an interest shared by most young people, vehicles and motor sports. In short, officers have gotten together with the high school students of their community and work together to build a race car during the school year. When the car is completed, the students and officers take the race car to the track. Special "High School Drag Night" dates are set up at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna giving high school students, or anyone else for that matter, the opportunity to drive down the quarter mile strip in their own car. They can race against each other, or try to "Beat the Heat" by racing against the police officers. As in the old days, the police are 'the Heat". Building a race car correctly takes a great deal of time. During the time we spend with the young people, we have the opportunity to get to know them, and for them to know us as someone other than the opposition. At the same time, we can educate them about the ill effects of alcohol and other illegal drugs on a person's ability to function and drive. We will be able to build a positive relationship with these young people that will last for many years to come. Regardless of what, or how we try to teach young people about alcohol, drugs, and crime, we believe the best way to reach them is to first build that relationship. With a positive relationship established, we will be more successful in achieving our goals: Educate our young people of the real problems associated with alcohol and other drug use. Educate EVERYONE of the horrors of alcohol or drug impaired driving and promote safe driving habits. Promote better understanding between the police department and the young people of our community. Educate the general public that Drag Racing is NOT street racing, and anyone who desires to race can do so at the track, not on the streets. These have been our goals ever since Northeast Wisconsin Beat the Heat was established in May of 1993. To this point we believe have been very successful in reaching them. We have received nothing but positive feedback from the students and community. Some of the students, who have since graduated and started Tech school, have returned to help with instruction and running of the program. However, as we all know these goals are forever ongoing. As long as there are teenagers, there will be the need for help and guidance. We have reached many, and there will always be more. We want to give them all the help and guidance we can, so their tough and sometimes unpopular decisions may be a little easier. MOTIVATION Several programs exist at the grade school level, DARE, CounterAct and GREAT to name a few. After grade school, few proactive in-school programs exist to guide these young people through their toughest years, "the teens." Peer pressure, influence and vulnerability are at their peak through the high school years. We don't need to tell you that gang activity is a concern in the valley. We all know about the imminent threat of violence associated with gangs. Our program focuses on this and other teen related challenges. Are you aware that drunk driving accidents is the #2 killer of our high school aged youth? And we will not forget other drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and the recent comeback of LSD. As police officers we can tell you first hand that these are all very real and present threats in the valley. Our Beat the Heat program allows us to be with these students all year long, for four years of their lives. They can join as early as their first day as a freshman, and continue in the program through the end of their senior summer. No other program has a continuous focus on youth for this long. Thank you for this opportunity and for your continued support of all programs aimed at prevention. We believe we have an outstanding program that promotes awareness and prevention to a great many people of all ages.

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