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The City of Richmond, CA (near Oakland) is considering a new ordinance providing a fine for kids cutting class. The Richmond PD originally proposed this as a way to combat crime since a significant amount there is perpetrated by HS kids during class time. CBS-13 speculates that there may be more behind it, though: a... cash-strapped school district attempting to recoup federal funding lost due to absenteeism.

I'm not at all sure how enforceable this is. If a guy is coincidentally caught in the midst of another crime, this could be a decent add-on charge. But are they really planning on detailing cops to go pick up a kid who would truly rather spend all day playing his X-Box than go to class?

Where are you getting the idea that they're going to send out cops on detail to round up kids playing hookey?

Doesn't seem like it would be that hard for the school to find out what kids weren't attending class and to fine them.

The district doesn't have the authority to do that. All they can do is report the infractions to the PD. Then the kid has to be arrested and booked unless they run it like traffic court. In either case, the costs involved will be more than they would rake in unless they make the fines exhorbitant.

SuperHornet wrote:The district doesn't have the authority to do that. All they can do is report the infractions to the PD. Then the kid has to be arrested and booked unless they run it like traffic court. In either case, the costs involved will be more than they would rake in unless they make the fines exhorbitant.

lol, why would they have to be arrested and booked?

If the district doesn't have that authority then they can just forward the names and addresses to the PD and they can fill out the paperwork and mail out some tickets.

Skjellyfetti wrote:Where are you getting the idea that they're going to send out cops on detail to round up kids playing hookey?

He's actually right about this, for once. What's the saying? The sun shines on a dogs ass every now and then? Or is it something about a blind squirrel? I'm not too down with the folksy sayings.

Richmond police now take truants back to school or wait with them for their parents. The process can be time consuming. The department periodically hosts focused truancy sweeps, with the Richmond Police Activities League serving as a drop-off center where students can wait for their parents or until the end of the school day.

The most recent sweep, from March 9 to 12, netted 425 Richmond students who were not in school when they should have been.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14734078" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Nothing new about a story like this, truancy has historically be punished, sometimes worse than how Richmond proposes. Maybe SH is more worried about fiscal mismanagement?

Mainly that, DJ.

Jelly: Most "crimes" are handled in either of two ways. Either the perp is arrested, or they're issued a ticket. Often if it's "just" a ticket, a special court is set up to handle it (i.e. traffic court). That involves employees (judges, clerks, attorneys, etc.) and THAT involves salary. In addition, just mailing out the tickets (paper, ink, clerk salary, postage, etc.) would cost a ton, too. It's just more $$ than it's worth.

Ah, my bad Super Hornet.

And this is completely retarded, I agree with you.

Just think if this was enforced, we wouldn't have gotten to witness "Epic Beard Man" lay the wood on that bus.