Des Moines Law Enforcement Concerned By Dropout Rate, Crime Connection
Jun 4th 2009
DES MOINES, IOWA (June 4, 2009) -- Des Moines Police Chief Judy Bradshaw, Polk County Attorney John Sarcone and West Des Moines Police Chief Jack O'Donnell held a news conference Thursday to discuss the connection between high dropout rates and violent crime.
They released a report called "Dropouts and Crime: The Need for High-quality Early Education in Iowa," which shows that quality early childhood education for at-risk kids increases graduation rates, aiding law enforcement's efforts to prevent crime.
"We know that finishing high school is key to a successful life. Kids who drop out lose options and opportunity. Too often, today's dropouts are tomorrow's criminals," Sarcone said.
High school dropouts are three and one half times more likely to be arrested and eight times more likely to be incarcerated. In fact, nearly 70 percent of state prison inmates nationwide failed to earn a high school diploma.
"Success builds on success; that's why it's important that we start early. Investing in early education will help more kids finish high school, so they never turn to crime," Bradshaw said.
Long-term studies of high-quality preschools have shown that children who attend are significantly more likely to graduate from high school and less likely to commit crimes later in life. By age 40, children who attended a Michigan preschool together were 44 percent more likely to graduate from high school than those who did not participate. The at-risk children left out of the program were five times more likely to be chronic offenders by age 27.
Quality early education programs have been proven to save the public as much as $16 for every $1 invested by reducing crime, welfare and other costs. The report also shows that if Iowa raised male graduation rates by 10 percent, the state would save approximately $88 million dollars every year, including almost $35 million in reduced crime costs alone.
"I would much rather focus my resources on young children than deal with hardened criminals later on. We know that quality early education improves graduation rates, cuts crime and saves taxpayers money. That's why law enforcement is behind this investment," O'Donnell said.
The law enforcement officials urged U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin to increase federal funding for early childhood education to improve graduation rates and prevent crime in Iowa. Harkin is the chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that determines the level of funding for early childhood development programs.
President Obama pledged $10 billion in new federal support for early education and care and has also requested new grants to the states to fund high-quality early learning initiatives.
The report was compiled by FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS, an anti-crime organization of 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and violence survivors, including 149 in Iowa, who advocate for policies proven through research to prevent crime and violence.
To read a copy of the report, click here.
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