NCJ Number
171491
Journal
Juvenile Offender Solutions Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (March/April 1998) Pages: XII-XIII
Date Published
1997
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The Los Angeles anti-truancy law is credited for sharp declines in daytime juvenile crime and arrests.
Abstract
Officers issue tickets to students found loitering off campus without an excuse between the hours of 8:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Those issued summonses must appear before juvenile traffic court referees or judges, who were given the authority in 1990 to hear non-traffic cases that involve juveniles, including loitering, the offense with which most Los Angeles truants are charged. Truants must answer the ticket in the company of their parents. First-offenders can be fined up to $135, with fines escalating up to $625 for repeat offenders. They can avoid paying the fine if they attend school for 60 consecutive days. Those unable to pay fines may be assigned up to 20 hours of community service. Warrants are issued for those who fail to appear in court after a 10-day grace period. The second 180-day evaluation of the truancy ordinance was released in June 1997. It shows that daytime rates of specific crimes have dropped precipitously since the enforcement effort began. Burglary dropped by 24 percent; thefts from cars decreased 45 percent; grand theft, 21 percent; petty theft, 19 percent; shoplifting, 32 percent; and vehicle theft, 25 percent. Statistics also show that the ordinance has helped increase attendance at Los Angeles public schools.