**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR FRIDAY SEPT. 9** Albuquerque Chief of Police Says Early Childhood Programs Pay Off in Fighting Crime

Crime fighters release new report showing early education cuts crime, reduces prison costs;

Report shows New Mexico corrections costs tripled between 1982 and 2008

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES:
Contact: Ted Eismeier, ted@fightcrime.org
Cell: 315-335-9222, Desk: 202-464-5350

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. With area children heading back to school, local law enforcement leaders will visit an early childhood education program to discuss the value of early learning and visit with young children in the classroom. Albuquerque Chief of Police Ray Schultz will release a new brief showing that investing in high-quality early care and education in New Mexico can help at-risk children succeed, significantly reduce the likelihood that they will commit crimes and save taxpayer dollars through reduced corrections costs.

A new report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids shows that New Mexico taxpayers spent over $280 million a year on corrections in 2011 and corrections costs have tripled between 1982 and 2008.

WHO:

Chief of Police Ray Schultz, Albuquerque Police Department

Miriam Rollin, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids National Director

 

WHAT:

Law Enforcement Visit to Classroom and News Conference

 

WHEN:

Friday, September 9

9:00 a.m. MT

 

WHERE:

YDI Heights Cluster, PreK Classroom

2520 Virginia Ave, NE

Albuquerque, N.M.

 

(Off of 8100 Block of Menaul Blvd NE, between Menaul and Phoenix Ave.)

 

Call for directions and parking information: 505-291-9394

 

VISUALS:

Uniformed law enforcement reading to young children at a preschool

Charts and research report showing early education can reduce later crime among at-risk kids

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