Added Payoff Seen in Truancy Law
- Share via
Santa Clarita city officials and county sheriff’s deputies hope a new city ordinance designed to cut down on truancy has an additional payoff--reducing the increasing number of daytime burglaries.
Statistics have not been calculated, but there is evidence that many daytime burglaries are committed by truant students, said sheriff’s Sgt. Lee White.
Similar to the ordinance adopted by Los Angeles in 1995, the one passed in August by Santa Clarita makes it unlawful for students under 18 to be off campus from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Truants must appear in juvenile traffic court and answer to judges empowered to delay some students from getting their driver’s license. First-time offenders are usually ordered to perform 16 hours of community service and repeat offenders may get double that amount, or pay a $250 fine. Their parents are required to attend a class on parenting.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
