From the June 11th NEGP Weekly (NEGP = National Education Goals Panel):
-> *1   MONROVIA:  CITY IS MODEL FOR TOUGH-ON-TRUANTS LAW
->    A unique collaboration of the police, school officials and
-> the Chamber of Commerce has put tiny Monrovia, Calif., on the map as
-> a model city for combatting truancy and, in the process,
-> juvenile crime (Riccardi, L.A. TIMES, 6/5).  The city's anti-
-> truancy ordinance requires police to stop suspected truants and
-> "issue citations of $135 to those who turn out to be ditching
-> school," writes the paper.  The city also boasts a mandatory
-> school-uniform policy for elementary and middle school students.   In
-> 1990, the Monrovia Police Department decided to combat
-> property crimes by devising a community-policing program that
-> included cracking down on truancy.  A committee of local leaders was
-> formed to produce anti-crime measures.  The truancy law and the
-> school uniform policy were products of the committee that won rave
-> reviews from President Bill Clinton, notes the paper.
->    According to the TIMES, the Monrovia programs, particularly
-> the truancy law, is the basis for a proposed statewide daytime
-> curfew being debated in the state Legislature.  Monrovia police point
-> out that since the law was passed two years ago, daytime
-> burglary has dropped 54%, theft is down 48% and grand theft auto has
-> decreased by 55%.
->    However, skepticism is alive and well in Monrovia.  Mike
-> Males, a doctoral student at U of California, Irvine and author of
-> "The Scapegoat Generation," observed that neighboring cities have
-> lower adult arrest rates for drug offenses and assault than Monrovia.
-> Males:  "Arcadia had more juvenile burglaries but
-> fewer domestic assaults and fewer felony drug offenses [committed by]
-> adults.  If the Monrovia police are going to claim credit for
-> reducing juvenile crime, do they want to take the blame for
-> having grater felony drug arrests?"  He added:  "I'm just urging some
-> skepticism about the city of the hour."
->    Los Angeles officials were impressed with Monrovia's record
-> and credits its two-year-old anti-truancy law for the drop in
-> daytime crime (Lait, L.A. TIMES, 6/5).  According to the Los
-> Angeles Police Department, daytime crime in the city has dropped 20%
-> to 45% in categories including burglary, shoplifting and car
-> break-ins since the anti-truancy law was passed.
->    The police study concedes that there has been a nationwide
-> drop in the crime rate, but adds that the drop in Los Angeles for 10
-> types of crimes typically committed by youth offenders has
-> dropped even more dramatically than the nationwide average.
-> "This report clearly shows that where there is a truancy problem, a
-> corresponding juvenile crime problem usually exists," said
-> Councilwoman Laura Chick, who authored the 1995 anti-truancy
-> ordinance.  "When the problem is addressed, crime goes down."
->    Wesley Mitchell, chief of the Los Angeles Unified School
-> District's police force:  "The greater societal good is being
-> served by this ordinance.  The object ... is not to penalize
-> youngsters.  The goal is to get them into the educational
-> mainstream."
->    In Los Angeles, truants face "stiff" penalties, ranging from
-> $135 for a first offense to $675 for multiple violations.
-> However, the fee is waived for students who attend school for 60
-> consecutive days without an unexcused absence.
->    Police Sgt. Dexter Nelms, from neighboring Torrance, said
-> his city's year-old anti-truancy law does not "hold a candle" to a
-> school district policy that requires schools to lock up their high
-> school campuses at lunch time, reports the paper.
--- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 10
---------------