BATON ROUGE- Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro, Grambling Chief of Police Tommy Clark, Jr. and City of Port Allen Chief of Police Esdron Brown are set to hold a press conference urging state policy makers to maintain preschool funding.

Cannizzaro and Brown will be representing nearly 100 Louisiana police chiefs, sheriffs, and prosecutors at the event to encourage law makers to not cut funding for the state’s three early education programs in order to protect public safety.

Law enforcement leaders will release a report at the event from Fight Crime:Invest in Kids, called We’re The Guys You Pay Later, to highlight how quality preschool experiences prepare children for long-term academic success and reducing the liklihood they will turn to crime later.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is an anti-crime organization of more than 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors that take a hard look at research about what helps to prevent children from becoming criminals.

The report will also highlight the estimated $159 million potential savings that the state could miss if the 5,300 preschool slots are eliminated as currently proposed by state legislators.

The event will be held on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the KinderCare Learning Center at 11349 Greenwell Springs Road.

Law enforcement leaders will read with children at the center after making remarks.