Maine Members in the News
Our members frequently appear in newspapers across Maine. In Letters to the Editor, Opinion Editorials and articles about an area Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Maine works. Below are samples of appearances by our members:
"Untreated behavioral and mental health problems can be a precursor to late crime and violence. Research shows that youth with untreated mental health needs are more likely to get into trouble in school and our communities and jeopardize public safety. By now covering needed mental health services for at-risk kids in Maine and nationally, SCHIP can help ensure that behavioral and emotional problems and mental illness are identified and treated as early as possible, and thus reduce future crime."
Bangor Chief of Police Ron Gastia and Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross
Bangor Daily News, 2/12/09
"As a prosecutor, my experience and proven research has taught me that investments in children's health insurance are critical to our nation's public safety."
District Attorney Evert Fowle
Kennebec Journal 2/4/09
"Head Start and Early Head Start have been proven to result in kids who stay in school and out of a life of crime. Our Maine congressional delegation's votes will allow an additional $4.1 billion to be spent on Head Start, Early Head Start and Child Care Development Block grants nationally - millions of which will directly benefit Maine low-income infants, toddlers and preschoolers."
South Portland Chief of Police Ed Googins
Portland Press Herald Maine Sunday Telegram 3/7/09
"As a law enforcement leader who have seen too many kids grow up to become criminals, I hope Congress will write health care legislation that includes evidence-based home visiting programs, provides coverage for pregnant women, and gives children access to the mental, emotional, and behavioral health care they need. These are life saving and money saving investments that will help at-risk children around the nation and make our communities safer."
Houlton Chief of Police Butch Asselin
Houlton Pioneer Times 6/8/09
"In law enforcement, it's our responsibility to keep the public safe, and preventing child abuse has to be a part of that. If we don't ensure funding for home visits, it will be a perfect storm for child endangerment-increased risk and inadequate funding for prevention. We need to get in front of this problem before the recession causes it to get any worse. The safety of our communities depends on it."
Androscoggin County Sheriff Guy Desjardis
Lewiston Sun Journal 5/31/09
"The research evidence is clear: Voluntary in-home parent coaching and assistance will cut child abuse and neglect as well as later crime."
Public Safety Commissioner Anne Jordan
Portland Press Herald 5/7/09
"As law enforcement leaders, we also know that high quality early care and education levels the academic playing field and reduces future crime. Studies show that at-risk youngsters who are not provided high quality early care are more likely to struggle academically, drop out and become involved in crime. Unfortunately, we have seen too many of these young people in our line of work."
Gardiner Chief of Police James Toman and Winthrop Chief of Police Joseph Young
Kennebec Journal, 3/5/09
"My fellow law enforcement leaders and I know the value of preventive investments for at-risk youngsters. Every day we see kids who start out behind their peers and never catch up. All too many of these kids turn to crime and end up in places like the jail I oversee. Law enforcement leaders also know, and research has shown, that investments in high-quality early care and education level the playing field and give children the right start in life."
Two Bridges Regional Jail Authority Correctional Administrator Mark Westrum
Times Record, 3/4/09
"As sheriff in Kennebec County, every day I see teenagers and adults who end up in my custody. Their stories are similar -- they struggled in school and socially, skipped classes, dropped out before graduation, have been unsuccessful finding and keeping a job and got involved in crime. One of the best tools for breaking such a cycle is investing in high quality early education programs."
Kennebec County Sheriff Randy Liberty
Morning Sentinel, 2/28/09
"Snowe authored a prior version of the recently enacted State Children's Health Insurance Program reauthorization, and then worked tirelessly to shepherd it through the Senate Finance Committee and finally to enactment. This legislation will extend health care coverage, including mental health services, to 4 million additional at-risk kids all across our country. This early prevention is a key weapon in the fight against future crime.
Our public appreciation goes out to Snowe for her leadership on the issue, and to Collins, Michaud and Pingree for their support."
Auburn Chief of Police Phil Crowell and Lewiston Chief of Police Bill Welch
Lewiston Sun Journal 2/12/09
"As Chiefs of Police, we have seen too often what happens to young people when their behavioral, emotional and mental health challenges are not addressed promptly. We know, and research proves, that untreated youth with mental health problems are more likely than their peers to be involved in crime, putting themselves and their communities at risk. By covering mental health care for America's kids, SCHIP will help reduce future crime and save taxpayers dollars. We want to publicly thank Senator Olympia Snowe for her leadership on SCHIP and thank Senators Collins, Congressman Michaud and Congresswoman Pingree for their support."
Skowhegan Chief of Police Michael Emmons and Waterville Chief of Police Joseph Massey
Morning Sentinel, 2/08/09
"Some of the most tragic cases we see as law enforcement leaders are the ones that involve young people who end up making bad decisions and harming others because they and their families lacked the ability and/or resources to keep themselves healthy and on track.
We want to publicly thank Sen. Snowe for her leadership on SCHIP and also thank Sen. Susan Collins and Reps. Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud for their support when this legislation was voted on by the full U.S. House and Senate. This is a great step for our nation's children."
Bath Chief of Police Mike Field and Brunswick Chief of Police Richard J. Rizzo
Times Record 2/6/09
"Early treatment is the best prevention. Thanks to our congressional delegation that is now a viable option for thousands of additional kids in Maine and millions of kids across our country."
Caribou Chief of Police Michael Gahagan
Aroostook Republican 2/4/09
"As a country, we have rarely viewed early childhood development as a strategy for economic growth. But investments in high-quality early education and care are among the most cost-effective and powerful sources of economic stimulus available."
Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett and CEO of Goold Health Systems Jim Clair
Maine Sunday Telegram, 2/1/09
"While staying in school even one year longer reduces the likelihood that a youngster will turn to crime, graduating from high school has a truly dramatic impact. History has shown that as graduation rates go up, violent crimes decrease. A study by two prominent economists found a 10 percentage point increase in graduation rates would reduce murder and assault rates by about 20 percent, preventing more than 20 murders and over 900 aggravated assaults in Maine every five years. High-quality early education is the most widely adopted and effective school reform proven to increase graduation rates."
York Chief of Police Doug Bracy
York County Coast Star, 10/01/08
"Home visiting not only saves lives, it saves money. Child abuse and neglect costs Americans more than $80 billion every year - $400 million in Maine alone. Yet a study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that the Nurse Family Partnership program would save the people of Maine $5 for each dollar invested."
Rockland Chief of Police Bruce Boucher and Caryn Drapkin, program manager of Parent Education & Family Services of Knox County.
Courier Gazette, 9/4/08
"The cold, hard truth is that high school dropouts are more likely to turn to crime. A recent report released by Fight Crime: Invest In Kids shows that high school dropouts are three-and-a-half times more likely than high school graduates to be arrested, and more than eight times more likely to be incarcerated."
Waldo County Sheriff Scott Story
The Republican Journal, 9/3/08
"Currently Maine spends approximately $4.5 million annually on in-home parent education programs across all 16 counties. That's little more than 1/100th of what child abuse and neglect cases cost. Unfortunately, home-visiting programs reach only 20 percent of eligible families statewide."
Yarmouth Chief of Police Mike Morrill
Yarmouth Shopping Notes, 7/1/08
