In an opinion piece in the Concord Monitor, Merrimack County Sheriff Scott Hilliard advocates for early childhood education, citing evidence that early support ultimately helps curb teen pregnancy, crime, and even drug use–a growing problem in the Granite State:

Those of us in law enforcement will always be seeking new and more effective crime fighting approaches and more sophisticated tools and technologies to help us stay ahead of crime… By supporting strong early childhood education today, we will be in a much better position to secure our communities in the future.

There is a tower of definitive evidence showing that early learning programs are critical to kids’ success in school and life. If we invest today in setting a strong intellectual, cognitive and emotional foundation for children before they reach age 5, we can significantly raise the odds they will stay in and perform well in school, avoid teenage pregnancy, keep away from drug-related and violent crimes and, more generally, contribute to making our communities more livable and prosperous.

Hilliard, who has been Merrimack’s sheriff for almost ten years, fights for early childhood education at the federal and local level, and is pressing the issue with 2016 presidential candidates who visit the state. Read the rest of his article here.