Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Celebrates Crime Prevention Month in October

October is National Crime Prevention Month and we are celebrating by highlighting our Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California members who continually advocate for evidence-based strategies that invest in our children and help steer them away from crime.

On the national front, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids member Michael A. Ramos recently authored an article in The Prosecutor titled “25 Years In, We’re More Sure Than Ever that Crime Prevention Starts in Early Childhood.” In the article, Ramos celebrates Fight Crime: Invest in Kids’ 25th anniversary by highlighting policy victories our members have won in afterschool, early childhood education, voluntary parent coaching, and juvenile anti-recidivism programs. Ramos was the former District Attorney of San Bernardino County, CA, from 2002 to 2019, where he served as President of both the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA). Currently, he is a member of the National Leadership Council of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids and a board member of Council for a Strong America, the parent organization of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. Read his article below!

Former DA Ramos is one example of the great work our members do. This year, our California Fight Crime: Invest in Kids members continued to speak up in support of increased investments in programs for children and youth, including high-quality child care and education, well-being initiatives, and afterschool programs through webinar report releases throughout the year. View their brief testimonies below!

District Attorney Diana Becton participated in our most recent report release focused on student health, mental health, and well-being. DA Becton was sworn in as the 25th District Attorney for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on September 17, 2017. She is the first woman and the first African-American to serve as Contra Costa County District Attorney since the office was established in 1850. DA Becton has spent most of her professional career as a judge, lawyer, and manager, and is committed to safeguarding communities from crimes and working on positive outcomes for youth.

As a new father, Chief Abdul Pridgen championed early care and education as we released a report on the economic impacts of lack of access to 0-3 child care. Pridgen is the Chief of Police for the San Leandro Police Department. Prior to being appointed San Leandro Police Chief, he led the Seaside Police Department for three years where he made procedural justice, transparency, and winning the community’s trust department priorities. Before serving in Seaside, Chief Pridgen honorably retired from the Fort Worth Police Department after almost twenty-six years of loyal service. Chief Pridgen was also a sailor in the armed forces, serving in Desert Storm. He was honorably discharged after his six-year active-duty commitment and retired from the U.S. Navy Reserve as a Chief Petty Officer.

A longtime advocate for children’s issues, District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley is a strong believer in the value of home visiting and its contribution to safer communities. DA Dudley is the District Attorney for Santa Barbara County. For 20 years, DA Dudley was a Deputy District Attorney specializing in prosecuting violent crimes against vulnerable victims. In 2010, she was elected District Attorney. DA Dudley has two master’s degrees in education, one with an emphasis on early childhood education and the other with an emphasis on educational administration, and was appointed by Governor Brown to be the Chair of the Police Officers Standards and Training Commission (POST), a position she still retains.