Laguna Beach Police Launch Anti-Truancy Sweeps

The Laguna Beach police force has launched periodic sweeps to round up truants, making it one of the few departments in the county to take advantage of a 1988 court ruling allowing officers to question youngsters found on the streets during school hours.

“There was no particular problem that caused us to launch these sweeps, although we did notice somewhat of an increase in young people out in the city when they should be in school,” Laguna Beach Police Chief Neil Purcell said.

Last March 21, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a California high court ruling that allows police to stop and question youngsters who are on the streets during school hours. That action gave police throughout the nation legal sanction to do the same.

Laguna police, who plan to stage unannounced sweeps twice a month, have already conducted two--one in December in which two truants were apprehended and one Jan. 10 in which eight were, police said.

Dennis Smith, superintendent of Laguna Beach Unified School District, said four of the students caught in the January sweep were not from Laguna Beach.

“Police said they were concerned with the number of school-age kids in the beach area--not just Laguna Beach kids, but kids from other areas,” Smith said. “It was the Police Department’s idea to make the sweeps, and we’re cooperating because we certainly want our students to be in class.”

Smith said Laguna Beach Unified has a relatively low rate of unexcused absences. “But I should note that when the weather is good and the surf is up, that attendance rate is lowered on certain dates,” he said. “And particular times of the day are more keen for absences than other times. Such as after lunch.”

Although every one of the 29 school districts in Orange County has some form of truancy prevention program, few communities have organized anti-truancy sweeps by police. State law changes made in the 1970s made it more difficult for police to stop juveniles. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling last March, however, specifically gives law enforcement agencies more power to stop school-age people during school hours.

The Supreme Court ruling involved a 1983 Newport Beach case. A Fullerton youth who was 17 at the time was stopped by police in Newport Beach and asked why he was not in school. After further inquiries, officers found that the youth was carrying LSD under his jacket.

The California Supreme Court upheld the right of police to stop students during school hours, and the U.S. Supreme Court let that action stand, adding that police may use their added authority only to enforce truancy laws. Ironically, Newport Beach does not have a truancy sweep program, said Lt. Tim Newman of that city’s police force.

Huntington Beach, another popular destination for truant teen-agers, also has no formal anti-truancy sweep program, said Lt. Bill Mamelli of that city’s Police Department.

Garden Grove, whose school district has the second largest enrollment in Orange County, has a 14-year-old formal program of police sweeps for truants.

“The program is called ‘Operation Stay in School,’ ” said Alan Trudell, public information officer for Garden Grove Unified School District. “Members of the Garden Grove police, primarily juvenile investigators, once a week, on a day picked as randomly as possible so no patterns will be formed, comb different areas of the city. The officers look for suspected truants, and when they find them, the truants are taken to their schools.”

Officers on Campus

For the Santa Ana Unified School District, whose 39,500 enrollment makes it the county’s largest, city police help prevent truancy by being on high school campuses during school hours, said Bert Lopez, school district director of child welfare and attendance.

“At each of our three high schools we have a Santa Ana police officer who is called a school resource officer,” Lopez said. “They are at the schools during the school hours, and they not only can help if there is any disturbance at the schools, but they also are available to help bring in truants. They provide very good PR (public relations) just by being there; they provide a positive relationship and help prevent truancy.”

Smith, the Laguna Beach Unified superintendent, also remarked that police cooperation in his city makes for a “positive relationship” and that it probably makes students think twice before deciding to skip school.