Monroe County Law Enforcement Leaders Urge School Officials to Apply for Millions Available for Pre-K Programs That Are Proven to Prevent Future Crime and Save Taxpayers Money
Aug 16th 2007
Rochester, Aug. 16- Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering and Brockport Police Chief Daniel Varrenti visited the Caring and Sharing Child Care Center today to urge school officials to apply for pre-Kindergarten grants before the application deadline passes. While there, the law enforcement leaders sat down with a class of pre-kindergarten age child and read them the story, "Officer Buckle and Gloria."
DA Mike Green, Chief Varrenti and Chief Pickering are all members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York, a bipartisan anti-crime organization of 300-plus police chiefs, sheriffs, district attorneys, other law enforcement leaders and violence survivors. It is part of a national organization of more than 3,000 law enforcement members. Meredith Wiley, state director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York, joined the members during their visit.
District Attorney Green and Chief Varrenti said high quality pre-kindergarten not only prepares children to succeed in school, it also prevents crime, saves New York state residents taxpayers money and is good for the economy.
Governor Spitzer and the Legislature added a total of $146 million for preschool in this year's budget in the first year of an intended multi-year expansion. Spitzer has made providing preschool to all four-year-olds within four years a priority. The money has already been allocated on a district-by district basis, but each school district must apply for the funds. Green, Varrenti and Pickering commended Rochester City School District for taking advantage of their full share of the available pre-k money and encouraged parents to sign their children up. But they also expressed great concern for the schools districts in the rest of Monroe County and urged the school districts in to apply for the new money.
Green said a long-term study of the High/Scope Perry Preschool in Michigan found that at-risk kids excluded from the program were five times more likely to grow up to become chronic lawbreakers than those who attended the program.
By age 40, those left out of the Perry Preschool Program were twice as likely to have been arrested for violent crimes, four times more likely to have been arrested for drug felonies, and seven times more likely to have been arrested for possession of drugs than those who attended the program.
"Investing in early education is essential to preventing crime," Green said. Children who start early start strong. They enter school prepared to learn and then grow up to become productive members of our communities."
Varrenti said although the money has been specifically allocated to several school districts in the Albany area, the funds would go to waste unless the districts apply for them and that law enforcement officials are willing to work with school officials to help eligible school districts take full advantage of the funds.
"You can't ask a four-year-old to wait until next year. Quality pre-k renders kids ready to learn, reinforces respect for others and reduces behavior problems. It would be a shame to turn our back on money that is available. For this year's pre-school age kids, this kind of early learning opportunity can never be made available again," Varrenti said.
Green said he found the situation ironic, since for years, law enforcement leaders have fought to prevent budget cuts to pre-K and begged for increased funding and now that there is new money for pre-K programs, there is a danger school officials won't apply for it.
According to Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York State Director, Meredith Wiley, " Over 66 percent of the school districts in Monroe County outside of Rochester have yet to apply for pre-k funds that have already been allocated, leaving nearly $2.5 million on the table that could otherwise help get hundreds of Monroe County kids on track for school success."
"High-quality preschool is a remarkable investment," Green said. "It improves the long-term educational and economic prospects of children as they grow into adults and more than pays for itself in the long run. It is a relatively small investment that pays big dividends."
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York has more than 300 police chiefs, sheriffs, district attorneys, other law enforcement leaders, and violence survivors as members. It is part of the national Fight Crime: Invest in Kids organization of more than 3,000 law enforcement members.
