MIAMI (CBS4) — Law enforcement officers in South Florida are sending a message to state legislators: Support funding for early education to help reduce crime.

Miami-Dade Police Director James Loftus and others visited the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education on Wednesday. They read to children and emphasized the importance of getting children into quality early education programs.

The officers are part of the organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, which also released a report highlighting the large amount of money spent on corrections, and studies showing children who participate in early education are less likely to get in trouble with the law when they are adults.

States across the country have been slashing their prekindergarten spending in light of continuing budget cuts. Florida cut pre-kindergarten spending by about $20 million.

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