Redmond police chief joins nationwide support of anti-child abuse program
Published 1:44 pm Friday, May 11, 2012
City of Redmond Police Chief Ron Gibson was among 160 Washington law enforcement leaders — 20 of which were from King County — to join a nationwide letter calling on Congress to support proven child abuse prevention strategies.
The letter emphasized the benefits of voluntary home visiting services, which help new parents comp with the stress of raising young children.
According to a press release issued by the Washington chapter of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, research shows that such programs can cut child abuse and neglect by up to 50 percent, significantly reduce later crimes and save taxpayer money. The press release also stated that home visiting can save as much as $21,000 for each family served by reducing abuse, neglect, juvenile crime and other negative outcomes. Washington recently received a multi-year, $25 million federal grant to expand home visiting services statewide. In addition, the 2012 supplemental budget includes nearly $1 million per year in state general funds for home visiting.
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a national, bipartisan, nonprofit anti-crime organization with a membership of more than 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, attorneys general and other law enforcement leaders and violence survivors nationwide.
