Truants to Be Ticketed Under City Ordinance

Beginning May 23 when a truancy ordinance takes effect, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies will have a new tool to crack down on students who habitually cut classes.

“The basic process is the same,” said Councilman Jim Henderson, of detaining students found outside of school during school hours. “It’s the outcome that is a little different.”

Before the ordinance, approved at the Westlake City Council’s April 23 meeting, deputies were able to detain students found on the streets of Westlake Village during school hours--8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. But they could do no more than turn the students in to the schools, which then handed out a punishment.

When the ordinance takes effect, students found outside of school without a legitimate reason will be ticketed. They and their parents will be required to go to court, where the students could face a fine and counseling, and parents could be made to attend parenting classes.

The truancy issue came up last fall when Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station officials asked their contract cities for more power to deal with truancy--an offense often at blame in daytime burglaries and graffiti vandalism, Henderson said. Calabasas has approved a similar ordinance; Agoura Hills is considering the truancy measure.

While acknowledging there is some opposition to the ordinance based on civil liberties concerns, Councilwoman Betty De Santis said she trusts that the new law will be used fairly by deputies.

“You’re only punishing, if you want to use that word, or counseling the kid who is the habitual truant,” she said. “The [deputies] have assured us that they are not just going to pick up just any kids. They know the ones who do this all the time.”