Cutting Crime, Not School

Idle hands, the saying goes, are the devil’s tools. Such apparently was the case in Santa Clarita, where young truants were blamed for increasing numbers of daytime burglaries. But with the adoption last year of a truancy ordinance, city officials and Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies hope not only to keep kids in school, but to take a bite out of crime as well.

Not a bad idea.

Santa Clarita’s ordinance doesn’t differ that much from similar laws adopted in Los Angeles and cities such as Redondo Beach and Torrance. It makes it illegal for students under 18 to be off campus between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The law allows sheriff’s deputies to cite truants, who land before a judge where they can be sentenced to community service or even fined. Knowing how to hit where it hurts, the judges can even delay some students’ driver’s licenses.

Other cities have noticed results from truancy laws. Santa Clarita deputies report seeing fewer students out during school hours following sweeps late last year. Deputies said last week that they plan additional sweeps throughout the coming months. That’s good news for parents and students, but also for homeowners who suffered daytime break-ins. Investigators believe truant high school students are responsible for a number of daylight burglaries in the Santa Clarita Valley because many of the items stolen would not appeal to professional thieves. Deputies won’t talk about what those items are because they don’t want to tip off juvenile burglars.

Keeping students in class is in everyone’s best interest. Ideally, students want to be there. And on any given day, about 99% of William S. Hart Union High School District’s 13,000 students either show up to class or have valid excuses. Even within the 1% who cut school, many are simply tempted by a sunny day or petrified of a pop quiz.

But for those who might consider using the time to rip off a neighbor’s compact disc collection, the ordinance serves as a good deterrent. Now, police don’t have to wait for truants to commit a crime before they can cite them. Simply seeing them on the street is enough. A stern lecture from a cop goes only so far. But spending a few Saturdays picking up roadside trash or waiting a few extra months for a driver’s license helps send home the message that cutting school is anything but cool.