Anti-crime group seeks voice in school reform bill

South metro law enforcement officials are asking Congress to use a school reform bill to help fight crime.

Prosecutors and police officials from Dakota, Rice and Carver counties asked Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., a key congressional player on education issues, to consider reforms that would help children succeed academically and stay out of trouble.

"You don't often make the connection between education and crime prevention, but there is a connection, and it's a big one," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said.

According to national statistics, seven out of 10 prison inmates are high school dropouts, Backstrom said.

"If we really want to reduce crime in our society, one of the single best investments we can make is on early prevention programs with at-risk kids," he said Tuesday.

Backstrom and other south metro law enforcement leaders are joining about 5,000 fellow members of a national anti-crime organization to ask Congress for grants and other support to better educate children. Members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids are asking Congress for more help to reduce dropout rates and curb bullying, school violence and drug abuse.

They want more after-school programs so children are better supervised and programs to help parents learn more effective parenting methods. They're also calling for more school-based mental-health screenings and referrals.

Statistics show benefit

The national bipartisan organization of police chiefs, sheriffs, state attorneys general, prosecutors and others has compiled statistics showing that every year children stay in school reduces the likelihood they'll be involved in crime.

If a state were able to achieve a one-year increase in average years of schooling, research shows it could reduce murder and assault by almost 30 percent, auto thefts by 20 percent, arson by 13 percent, and burglary and theft by about 6 percent, according to the group.

"Of course, there's no substitute for tough law enforcement, but the best way to make our communities safer is to prevent crime in the first place," said Rosemount Police Chief Gary Kalstabakken.

The officials approached Kline because he's ranking member of the House Education and Labor Committee and will be a key legislator in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. President Obama intends to overhaul that legislation, commonly known as the No Child Left Behind Act.

Other south metro law leaders who met with Kline on Friday were Rice County Attorney Paul Beaumaster, Carver County Sheriff Byron Olson and Carver County Attorney James Keeler Jr.

"Getting kids involved in early education makes a critical difference in helping them finish school and become law-abiding adults," Beaumaster said. "It's considerably cheaper to pay for high-quality pre-K today than it is to pay room and board for criminal offenders down the road."

Farmington High School Principal Ben Kusch said he wishes he could offer more after-school programming as a way to prevent students from getting in trouble with the law.

"The kids that go down that path don't have a stake in school," he said. "We aren't able to provide as many 'right' paths as we could."

Backstrom said funding such programs is money well spent.