Bill Welch was right on the money in his column “Quality early learning builds foundation for stronger economy and workforce” (Aug. 26). Welch (my predecessor at the Lewiston Police Department) and I have more in common than our law enforcement careers — we both believe that high-quality early care and education is critical for our children and the future of our communities.

I believe that we can be proactive on crime prevention through educating our youngest citizens and steering them toward success. High-quality early education helps us reach this goal by getting kids actively engaged in learning and arriving at kindergarten with a strong foundation. Research shows that high-quality early education programs can have a dramatic impact reducing later crime, reducing later arrests and saving money that would otherwise be spent on those arrests and imprisonments.

In the final analysis, it really comes down to dollars and “good sense.” Maine taxpayers spend $163 million a year to house, feed and provide 24-hour supervision for state criminals. We spend 11 percent of that, $17.6 million, on early care and education — a dime for every dollar we spend on the cost of incarceration.

Investing in our children’s future from a very early age does work, and I hope that Maine policymakers will work to ensure that more children have access to this valuable experience.

Michael Bussiere, Lewiston, Chief of Police