Fight Crime Illinois

1/2: Wise crime-prevention measures were on the agenda when law enforcement leaders gathered Thursday for @FightCrime Day at the IL Capitol. Our visits w/legislative leaders centered on smart investments in #earlychildhood priorities. #twill

Building safe communities thru effective investments in kids was the discussion topic over breakfast w/some of our Fight Crime members during the IL State's Attorneys Assn conference last week. We appreciate the leadership & support of 70+ state's attorneys, statewide! #twill

State's Attys Smith (Boone County) & Lacy (Vermilion) have been members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids for a combined 18 yrs. They're among 350+ IL law enforcement leaders who amplify our efforts to curb crime by bolstering kids' development. We're grateful for their help! #twill

At the IL State's Attys Assn conference, we appreciated catching-up w/longtime Fight Crime participants such as Kendall County SA Eric Weis & welcoming several new members, like Putnam County SA Christina (Judd) Mennie. We value their voices in support of kids' well-being! #twill

Reductions in family conflict, violence, & child maltreatment were among the findings of a new study of kindergarteners whose families benefited from evidence-based #homevisiting programs that help new & expecting parents. Read the new research at tinyurl.com/4rvftzzb. #twill

If the government shutdown continues into November, 140 Head Start locations are at risk of closing if it doesn't end. #HeadStart programs steer kids towards success and away from crime.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids has joined over 125 organizations in urging Congress to take action to protect Head Start by ending the federal shutdown now. tinyurl.com/yc8xuwdp

For #LightsOnAfterschool, we join in celebrating the value of out-of-school-time services for children & youth! Our members — 350+ law enforcement leaders, throughout Illinois — appreciate #afterschool programs' help in keeping kids safe & strengthening their skills. #twill

Federal-shutdown layoffs threaten #afterschool services that provide students with safe & productive alternatives to the risks of unsupervised time. We urge the reversal of these cuts to avoid hobbling vital programs that serve 60,000 IL youth. #twill tinyurl.com/54cs2k4m

We enjoyed discussing the connections between public safety & kids' well-being w/the Central IL Assn of Law Enforcement Execs, including chiefs from Quincy, Chatham, Divernon, Jerome, & Spfld Park District Police. And grateful to welcome several new members to our network! #twill

2/2: These are reasons our IL police chiefs, sheriffs, & state's attorneys support stronger federal & state investments in #childcare & related #earlychildhood services. Read our own, 2022 report on tackling these rural IL concerns at tinyurl.com/5n7hs7k8. #twill

1/2: In a @firstfiveyears poll, 4 in 5 Americans living in rural areas describe working parents' inability to secure quality #childcare as in "crisis" or a "major problem." It's also a challenge for public safety, as our IL law enforcement leaders know. tinyurl.com/3scsfkey

We enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation w/IL Sen. Balkema about the ways #earlychildhood & #afterschool investments boost public safety. Also participating: Sheriffs Bohm (Livingston County) & Johnson (Ford), @PontiacILPolice Chief Davis & Asst Chief Baird. Thanks to all! #twill

#TBT: Three of our members from Western IL visited our booth at the recent @ILSheriffs conference: Sheriffs Edwards (Warren County), Duffy (Hancock) & Link (Henderson). We're grateful for their support in efforts to put more children on the path toward life success! #twill

McDonough County Sheriff Petitgout visited our booth at the conference of the @ILSheriffs Assn, w/whom we've partnered for over two-dozen years to bolster kids' well-being. ISA President Petitgout is a 7-year member of our law-enforcement leaders organization. #twill

#Afterschool programs provide youth w/safe, productive alternatives to the risks of the streets. Our IL law enforcement leaders agree w/this MI prosecutor & ask Congress to protect 21st Century Community Learning Centers in the federal FY26 budget. #twill tinyurl.com/38k2vnx3

Our IL law enforcement leaders agree: #afterschool programs such as 21st Century Community Learning Centers are vital to the youth they serve & to public safety. We join @ACTNowCoalition & @afterschool4all in calling for preservation of these federally supported services. #twill

IL Smart Start Workforce Grants boost the compensation of #childcare teachers, notes a @pn3policy report. Our IL law-enforcement leader group supports this & other efforts to strengthen this workforce segment helping kids off to the best start in life. tinyurl.com/5a2772ss

2/2: Our statewide network of 350+ police chiefs, sheriffs, & state's attorneys has long supported these programs for helping to keep kids safe, learning, & thriving during out-of-school hours. Let's preserve 21st CCLC as an important public-safety priority! #twill

1/2: #Afterschool & summer learning opportunities for 58,000 IL youth are now halted by this funding freeze, while a federal budget proposal also threatens to eliminate future funding for these 21st Century Community Learning Center priorities. #twill tinyurl.com/mr39nvaw

We are here at the NSA Annual Conference! Stop by booth 529 to say hi, hear what we’re up to, and get a free member gift! #sheriffs2025