EXCERPT FROM: The Record News
By Cecelia Martinez
TROY – In an effort to encourage the State Legislature to improve early childhood education programs, area law enforcement officials sat down and read with a class of preschool children at the Commission for Economic Opportunity. Police Chief John Tedesco, Rensselaer County District Attorney Rich McNally and Rensselaer County Sheriff Jack Mahar visited the program, saying that in addition to preparing children academically, high quality pre-kindergarten prevents crime.
“One of the best ways to prevent crime and violence is to give kids a good start in life,” said McNally. “It provides children with a sturdy foundation for success in school and in life, which steers kids clear of crime.”
A long-term study of the High/Scope Perry Pre-school 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 that attended the school and by age 40 were twice as likely to have been arrested for violent crimes and seven times more likely to have been arrested for possession of drugs.
“Early education isn’t about just getting kids into any kind of program,” said Tedesco. “It has to be high quality for the investment to pay off. If we provide at-risk kids with opportunities to participate in high-quality pre-k programs, we will significantly reduce later crime.”