Kokua Line
Kokua Line
If cops suspect truancy,
they may inquireQuestion: With different public schools having different days off (for teacher institute days, staff development, etc.), how do police enforce truancy laws when they see a student off campus during normal school hours on a given week? How would an officer know the difference between a kid from Kaimuki Middle School off because of Teacher Institute Day and a kid who's supposed to be in school? What would the officer do?
Answer: Police don't need to know which school students go to to question whether they should be in school on any given day.
If officers suspect someone is a truant or receive complaints about truants, "they may make inquiries," said HPD Maj. Michael Tucker, of the Honolulu District.
Officers will ask to see identification and ask what schools the students go to, although not all schools require students to have ID. "Once the kids' ID and schools have been determined, contact has to be made with the specific schools to verify school and status of the kids," Tucker said.
Because truancy is a status offense, meaning it is noncriminal, the policies of both HPD and the state Department of Education are "to return the kids to the school (to) be dealt with administratively," he said.
On Oahu the DOE's School Attendance Program, housed on the campus of Kaimuki Middle School, deals with students who are referred to the program either by schools or HPD, said John Paekukui, a tutor with the program.
Schools initiate their own programs to deal with first-time truants, he said. If a student is picked up a second time for truancy and has no other pending cases with HPD, he or she is referred to a four-hour program held on a Saturday either at the Juvenile Division of HPD's main station or at the police training academy in Waipahu.
One parent also must attend the session, involving both police and education personnel, in which various laws, including truancy and curfew, are discussed, as well as how to deal with problems.
If a student is picked up a third time or does not qualify for the Saturday session, he or she is referred to one-on-one counseling with an officer or counselor, usually at the police station.
Chronic truants may be referred to the state Attorney General's Office and ultimately, in some cases, the Family Court.
Paekukui characterized truancy as a problem "that's always there."
"There are so many different reasons," he said, including kids being bullied, not liking teachers or classes, or dealing with personal problems or problems at home.
A total of 1,861 first-time truants were referred to the School Attendance Program for the 2001-2002 school year: 714 from the Honolulu District; 667, Leeward District; 288, Windward District; and 192, Central District.
Of those, 1,225 qualified for the Saturday program: Honolulu, 422; Leeward, 462; Windward, 209; Central, 132. The rest did not attend for various reasons or were referred to the one-on-one counseling.
A bill has been introduced in the state Legislature to crack down on truants, proposing to include such penalties as fining parents and taking away the truant's driver's license.
|
Useful phone numbers
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com