Police Chief, Officer Hailed for Truancy Project
The police chief of Monrovia and its youth services police officer have been honored by a law enforcement organization for their department’s innovative anti-truancy program.
The International Assn. of Chiefs of Police selected the program as one of the 10 best of its kind in the world, officials said. The Webber Seavy Award was given to Chief Joseph A. Santoro and Police Officer Bill Couch.
Monrovia’s anti-truancy program allows police to stop suspected truants and issue $135 citations to students who ditch school. The ordinance was a model for a similar Los Angeles program and dozens of others nationwide.
Last year, President Clinton visited the city to praise the program, and the California Department Justice has named it among the most innovative law-enforcement programs in the state.
Nonetheless, some city residents who teach their children at home have filed a legal challenge to the law, saying their children have been stopped numerous times by the police.
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