LOS ANGELES : Council Delays Vote on Tougher Truancy Penalties
Amid a lengthy debate on how to eliminate a root cause of crime without stepping on individual rights, the Los Angeles City Council deadlocked Wednesday over a proposal to stiffen penalties for truant students.
In the end, the council agreed on a split vote to take the issue up again in two weeks.
Under the proposal offered by Councilwoman Laura Chick, police officers would issue truant students a citation, forcing them to appear with a parent or legal guardian before a juvenile traffic court judge who can impose a fine or community service work.
The law would apply to students under age 18 who are caught loitering on school days from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Citations appear as an infraction on a student’s driving record and, if ignored, would lead to a suspended license. The fine and the amount of community service work are decided by the traffic court judge.
“If we can do this and keep our kids in school, we will be taking a very important step,” Chick told her colleagues.
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