Officials fight to save kids’ crime-prevention programs by
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JONESBORO — Pay a little now or pay a lot later.
That’s the dilemma when it comes to cutting kids’ programs that attempt to prevent crime, according to Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Edmonds.
“These programs are a key investment in reducing crime and they’re a smart fiscal investment,” Edmonds said. “We can spend a small amount of money now on educating our kids or we can spend a lot of money down the road for arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating people.”
Edmonds, along with other Illinois prosecutors, police chiefs and sheriffs representing an anti-crime organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois, met in March with state legislators to express concern over continued cuts in early childhood education programs.