Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke has become a member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Michigan, a statewide anti-crime group based in Lansing.

Behnke was an associate member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids for more than 12 years prior to becoming sheriff.

As a member of the organization, Behnke joins the ranks of some of the state’s premier law enforcement officials, said an organization spokesperson.

“We’re honored to have such a talented and dedicated sheriff on our team,” said Jerry Dash, state director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Michigan. “Sheriff Behnke understands that criminal activity can be dramatically reduced by simultaneously prosecuting criminals and using high quality crime prevention programs.”

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Michigan is a bipartisan crime fighting group comprised of more than 500 prosecutors, sheriffs, police chiefs and victims of violence from across the state.

The organization’s mission is to take a hard-nosed look at what really works — and what does not work — to keep  youth from becoming criminals. It then places that information in the hands of policy-makers, the media and the public.

Strategies proven effective to prevent and reduce crime include high quality after-school programs, early care and pre-kindergarten programs, and child abuse and neglect prevention programs, the organization said.