City Considers Tough New Truancy and Curfew Law

Parents, beware.

In an effort to stem what they say is growing gang-related violence and vandalism, Thousand Oaks City Council members are considering passing a stricter truancy and curfew law that could fine parents up to $2,500 if their child repeatedly ditches school or sneaks out late at night.

The new law would also hold teens under 18 years of age accountable for being truant or loitering in areas ranging from parks and playgrounds to movie theaters and sidewalks.

They may be fined $135 for each offense.

If they don’t pay, they could temporarily lose their driver’s license. And those who don’t already have a driver’s license may be prevented from getting one when they turn 16.

If approved at Tuesday’s council meeting, the tough new law will go into effect at the end of next month.

Although the city already has a nighttime curfew law, which prohibits teens from loitering between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in public places, council members say the old law had no teeth.

“It is long overdue,” Mayor Andy Fox said. “The fact of the matter is that if we are going to stem the tide of youth violence and gang activity we need to have some hard-hitting consequences for being out and causing trouble.”

While the new law prohibits loitering, it will not apply to teens accompanied by their parents or those, for instance, who are out late to attend movies or return home from work.

Many parents interviewed said they favor stricter enforcement, seeing it as a way to curb growing problems with graffiti and vandalism. But many local teens said they fear that the new law will ruin their fun, including the football season tradition of gathering at burger stands after the game.

Although Thousand Oaks is the first city in Ventura County to draft such a law, others throughout Southern California--including Compton, Los Angeles, Monrovia and Norwalk--have similarly strict truancy and curfew laws on the books. Thousand Oaks staff members reviewed those laws to come up with their own plan.

The plan was approved in concept last October, but the council delayed implementation to seek further clarification on how the new law would be enforced.

Cmdr. Kathy Kemp, the head of the sheriff’s East Valley Division, which oversees Thousand Oaks, said until the measure is passed, the city does not have a way of fining teens or their parents. She also said overworked juvenile probation officers were reluctant to follow up on curfew violations.

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Truancy violations were left primarily to the schools and district’s Student Attendance Review Board to deal with, she said.

“Before, not a whole lot would happen [to truant or loitering teens] and that was our problem,” she said. “But now, if you are found in violation of the curfew, you [would] be issued a ticket.”

Under the proposed law, parents whose teens are caught in violation of the law twice within six months would face civil action by the district attorney or the city.

The teens would receive a traffic citation, to be adjudicated through the Simi Valley Traffic Court, for each offense. The court accepts juveniles as young as 12 years old.

Despite the hefty fees they could face if their children decide to cut classes or sneaks out late at night, parents waiting outside Westlake High School on Friday said they fully support the changes.

“I think it’s great,” said Cindy Tacone of Thousand Oaks who has a 15-year-old son. “It will make kids believe that something is going to happen to them if they don’t listen.”

Lorie Hobbs, a member of the local council of PTA presidents, said she agrees, but believes the fine for parents of a two-time offender may be too high and the curfew too early.

“Two times? That is pretty stringent for parents to pay that high of a fine,” she said. “And 10 o’clock sounds pretty early. Curfew law should maybe be 11 on the weekends.”

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Most teens interviewed Friday were against the proposed law, saying it would punish responsible teens as well as troublemakers.

“I think it should only be enforced if there is suspicious activity, but if you are sitting around having fun, they should just leave you alone,” said Devin Flannery, a freshman at Westlake High School.

Many feared the new law would keep them from gathering at local fast-food restaurants--a popular way of getting together with friends, especially after athletic events.

If enforced to the letter, it could.

The measure specifically prohibits loitering at “eating places.”

But Fox said officers would use common sense to determine when and when not to give tickets.

“We hire police officers who can use good judgment and distinguish between teens who are loitering and looking for trouble and those who are simply hanging out,” he said. “This is not a step pointed at removing what has been a long-standing tradition of hanging around the hamburger stands after a football game.”