New Truancy Law Includes Fines
The jig is up for Thousand Oaks minors out after a certain hour.
The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously passed an ordinance imposing a late-night curfew and daytime truancy checks on school-age children.
And if the kids don’t care, their parents very likely will. Failure to know the whereabouts of their children after 10 p.m. could cost parents as much as $2,500 for the police time expended.
The same is true for failure to ensure the child is in school during school hours. The fine would only be invoked after repeated truancies or curfew violations. Parents can also opt to participate in parenting classes, counseling referrals or public service projects in lieu of the fine.
By cracking down on truancy and late-night loitering by minors, the city hopes to quell growing concerns about gang infiltration.
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