Crackdown Means Tough Times for Truants

Stepping up efforts to keep children in school and off the streets, Los Angeles police are citing increasing numbers of youths under a tough anti-truancy law passed two years ago, according to figures to be released today.

Between March 9 and the end of the school year June 20, officers cited 5,542 students, a significantly higher rate than in the past, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers issued just 6,571 citations from Sept. 10, 1996, to March 8 in about double the time of the current reporting period.

The rise in citations follows a study earlier this year that showed daytime crime in Los Angeles dropping dramatically as a result of the anti-truancy ordinance, which penalizes truant youths with stiff fines, community service or, in more serious instances, suspension of driving privileges. The analysis found that burglaries and car thefts during school hours declined by about 25%; shoplifting dropped by a third.

Officials attributed the increase in citations to more uniform enforcement throughout the city.

“All divisions have bought into the program and really recognized the importance of truancy enforcement,” said Det. Ben Gonzalez, the LAPD’s chief coordinator for truancy abatement.

“They’re making greater efforts to write large numbers of truancy citations.”

Still, the figures revealed some disparity between LAPD divisions. Outpacing all others was the Van Nuys Division, which wrote 782 citations, nearly twice as many as any other division. Behind Van Nuys were the Southwest Division, with 464 citations, and the Foothill Division, which issued 452 citations.

In Van Nuys, officers have focused strongly on curbing truancy with monthly sweeps and constant regular enforcement. A day-by-day analysis “showed that Van Nuys Division was consistently enforcing higher than everyone else,” Gonzalez said.

However, because the daytime-crime study earlier this year did not break down its statistics by division, it was not known whether the drop in those crimes was greater in the Van Nuys area than elsewhere.

The citation statistics also showed that boys are cited twice as often as girls.

Truancy citations result in fines ranging from $135 to $675 for multiple violations. In many cases, the fines are waived after the students attend school for 60 consecutive days without an unexcused absence or perform community service.

Because the infractions go on the youths’ driving records, repeated violations can result in the suspension of their licenses.

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Citations by Division

This chart shows the number of truancy citations issued between March 9 and June 20 at the following LAPD divisions:

Devonshire: 148

Foothill: 452

North Hollywood: 208

Van Nuys: 782

West Valley: 256