**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IOWA** Cedar Rapids Law Enforcement Leaders Join National Campaign for Early Learning
Crime fighters to announce support for early childhood education during classroom visit
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWALocal law enforcement leaders will visit the Linn County Child Development Center on Tuesday to read to children enrolled in the schools early learning program and discuss the value of early childhood education. The law enforcement leaders will release a new brief showing that investing in high-quality early care and education in Iowa can help at-risk children succeed, significantly reduce the likelihood that they will commit crimes and save taxpayer dollars through reduced prison costs.
The national anti-crime organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is sponsoring the event as part of a law enforcement campaign to promote support for high-quality early childhood education. Police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and violence survivors in Iowa are urging Congress and the state legislature to oppose cuts to these programs and to support efforts to strengthen early care and education. Hundreds of thousands of children nationwide could lose access to these programs if Congress approves these cuts.
WHO:
Sheriff Brian Gardner, Linn County Sheriffs Office
Chief of Police Greg Graham, Cedar Rapids Police Department
Hon. Jerry Vander Sanden, Linn County Attorney
Ted Eismeier, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Spokesman
WHAT:
Cops and Tots Event and News Conference
WHEN:
Tuesday, April 12
10:30 a.m. CT
WHERE:
Linn County Child Development Center
520 11th Street Northwest
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Call for Directions and Visiting Information: (319) 892-5700
VISUALS:
Law enforcement leaders in uniform reading to young children at a preschool
Charts and research report showing how early education can reduce crime among at-risk kids
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