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Skip School, Go to Jail? Dallas police push for daytime juvenile curfew

Updated 5:11 PM CDT, Tue, Jan 6, 2009

Related Topics: Dallas

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A setting like this turned into a horror for a 12-year-old girl whose hair was set on fire.

 

Dallas police said Tuesday they plan to ask the City Council for a daytime curfew for truant teenagers.

Police Chief David Kunkle said he would like the ability to take truant teenagers to a specified lockup instead of back to school. Parents would be forced to pick up their children at the lockup. The fine could be as high as $500, and parents could be ticketed as well.

Police said they believe teenagers who skip school may be responsible for a large number of day time residential burglaries and vehicle break-ins, Dallas police said.

Supporters say getting trouble-making teenagers off the streets will continue the city's trend of decreasing crime.

"We need to do something else," Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia said. "If we know or we think that some of the burglaries that happen during the day have a truancy component, we need to do something about truancy."

Dallas police plan to present a proposal for a daytime curfew to the City Council on Feb 2.

Dallas already has a nighttime curfew in place for juveniles.

Comments (21)

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  • eflash Monday, Feb 2 at 2:15 PM FLAG COMMENT I disagree...Whenver I miss school on accident, I don't hold up a store...that's for crackheads and dopers
  • hoosiergecko@hotmail.com Sunday, Feb 1 at 11:14 PM FLAG COMMENT Absolutely unbelievable! Government is overstepping. This move is no more than an attempt to make not conforming illegal and increase profit for the city, under the guise of safety. It's one more way that liberty dies an inch at a time. Consider the artist mind, who finds no place in a school that thinks linearly. Consider that schools are more concerned with short term utility, and gainful employment than making a va ... MORE >
  • HAHAHHA Tuesday, Jan 20 at 7:58 PM FLAG COMMENT TEXAS BLOWS NOONE CARES
  • je Wednesday, Jan 7 at 10:23 AM FLAG COMMENT Finally, a measure that puts the responsibility on students and parents. It is refreshing to see put the onus on people to take responbility for their own choices. Too many people want to blame the teacher for everything. On the other hand, schools will have to develop a better system for dealing with the return of these dropouts. They are skipping school for a reason; and upon their return, it will not be a pleasant class ... MORE >
  • Anonymous Wednesday, Jan 7 at 9:27 AM FLAG COMMENT I don't think that Dallas has intended to send truant kids to prison, so prison overcrowding shouldn't be an issue. However, how relatively minor you may feel truancy is, it is still a crime. I think it is a great idea. If we stabd by and do nothing we are only teaching kids that it is okay to be criminals and that they will not be punished.

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