Fighting crime starts with preschools

The General Assembly is tackling a challenging task. They’re deciding on a sustainable budget for the state that places high priority on programs that are proven to produce results.

As lawmakers consider what programs make Illinois a safe place to live, they should heed those of us who fight crime on the front lines. There is a growing consensus among law enforcement leaders across the state that solving the crime problem requires more than just jail cells; it requires preschool classrooms.

As the sheriffs in Kane and DuPage counties, our first priority is to get criminals off the streets. But after many years in law enforcement, we know that’s only half the battle. The rest of the battle is preventing individuals from entering the criminal justice system in the first place.

Over the years, we’ve visited preschools in our communities. We’ve seen how the children learn to take turns, solve problems, listen, respect their peers and teachers, and cooperate. They’ll start kindergarten with the tools they need to be successful. And the research is clear — our communities will be safer for it.

That’s because preschool is one of the most powerful crime-fighting tools available. Reaching kids early with high-quality preschool programs improves the likelihood that they will succeed in school and reduces the likelihood that they will become involved in crime later in life. Long-term studies of preschool programs have found that at-risk kids who do not attend these programs are more likely to drop out of high school and commit violent crimes.

The Chicago Child-Parent Centers is one of the programs studied over several decades with impressive results. The CPC’s have served children from some of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago. A long-term study found that their peers from the same neighborhoods who did not participate in the program were 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18 and 24 percent more likely to be incarcerated than similar kids who did attend.

Conversely, children who participated in these preschool programs were significantly less likely to end up in the criminal justice system. Attending quality preschool increases the likelihood that children will graduate from high school, pursue higher education, find employment and stay off the welfare rolls.

In fact, these preschool programs can be so effective in setting kids on track to be productive members of society that one such program was estimated to save $16 in crime, welfare and other costs for every $1 invested.

And we don’t have to wait years to see the savings. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois, an anti-crime organization of law enforcement leaders from all over the state, recently released a report that shows if we could make high-quality preschool available to every child in Illinois who needs it, the state could save millions by reducing the number of children who need special education programs.

In these difficult times for the state, the governor and legislative leaders are looking for programs that really deliver. And law enforcement is convinced by solid evidence that quality preschool is a sure bet for Illinois — cutting crime, saving taxpayer dollars and strengthening communities.

Ÿ Patrick Perez and John Zaruba are sheriffs of Kane and DuPage counties, respectively.