Officials Say New Law Cuts Truancy, Crime

Police, school and court officials Monday praised a new anti-truancy law, saying it can be credited for increasing school attendance and reducing daytime crime.

“It’s probably one of the best programs I’ve seen as far as getting students back in school,” said David Searcy, a juvenile court supervisor who has been watching the results of the ordinance.

The ordinance, drafted by Councilwoman Laura Chick and adopted by the council last year, allows police to issue tickets to minors caught off campus during most school hours without a reasonable excuse. Violators must appear with a parent or legal guardian before a juvenile traffic court judge who can impose the fine or community service work.

Since the law took effect Oct. 2, 1995, police have issued 5,878 citations. At the same time, police report drops ranging from 3% to 12% in 10 crime categories during daytime hours.

“We are pleased about this because it shows more students are in school,” Los Angeles Police Cmdr. Eric Lillo told a meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, which is chaired by Chick.

School officials said that during the first 180 days of the law, attendance increased almost 2.4% at middle schools and 2.7% at high schools, compared to the same period during the 1994-1995 school year.

In fact, school officials announced Monday that they will spend $107,000 to hire and equip two school officials to monitor students who receive truancy citations at the downtown and Van Nuys courthouses.

“I am very pleased to hear of the commitment on the school district’s part,” said Chick.

At the request of some council members who represent minority communities, the LAPD also prepared a racial breakdown of the students who were cited.

A report showed that Latinos, who make up 67% of the school district’s population, accounted for 58% of the violators. African American students, who make up 14% of the school population, received 27% of the citations. Anglo students, who make up 12% of the student population, received 9% of the citations.

The truancy report will be heard by the entire council in the next few weeks.