It's everyone's job to keep eye out for truants

BY CARMEN GONZALEZ CALDWELL

SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD

For the last couple of months, residents have expressed major concern about burglaries committed by juveniles in their neighborhoods. Well, school is back and there is something you can do.

As I explain to all our Crime Watch groups, when you see juveniles during school hours, you can call Miami-Dade Schools police at 305-995-2677, something that most residents don't know they can and should do. As I have done in the past, I contacted schools police Chief Charles Hurley and asked him to help me enlighten our community regarding truancy. He submitted the following information.

The Miami-Dade Schools Police Department is committed to reducing truancy throughout the county. Working collectively with the district and other law enforcement agencies, Dade schools police will continue to address the issue of truancy on many fronts. One instrument that was employed successfully over past years was the implementation of organized multiagency truancy sweeps with the help of county and city police.

In conducting these sweeps, officers are able to find truants and transport them either to their home schools or identified host schools for processing and intervention services. These sweeps are held regularly and target areas frequented by truants such as malls, Metrorail stations, other transit facilities, beaches and locations that are called in by residents.

Truancy continues to pose a serious problem to the children of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the residents of Miami-Dade County. Unexcused and excessive absences challenge the spirit of what the district and its teachers are striving to accomplish in the classroom. Educational contact time is critical to student achievement and any loss of this time may have adverse effects on children. Recent data and information provided by other law enforcement agencies also suggest that truants are responsible for a significant amount of criminal activity within the community during school hours.

Florida also has compulsory attendance laws that require youth to stay in school or face suspension of driving privileges, family court intervention and, in some cases, investigative proceedings against the parents.

Taking an active role in initiatives such as truancy sweeps, coupled with the efforts of support programs such as the Truancy Intervention Program and the Truancy Court, symbolize the labors of our department to reduce truancy and support the district's mission of providing the highest level of education to the students of Miami-Dade schools.

Lastly, it allows for law enforcement agencies throughout the county to work together, placing emphasis on a concern shared by all.

After speaking to Chief Hurley, I also spoke to several officers in special units, who reminded me that this is how kids get involved with the wrong crowds. The other danger is that these kids could be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and end up getting hurt. Therefore, I ask not only parents but anyone who sees kids skipping school to please call the police and give a full description and location. You might be saving someone's life or a burglary.

If you need further information, please go to www.dadeschools.net to learn of the many programs that are available for parents.

Carmen Caldwell is executive director of the Citizens' Crime Watch of Miami-Dade. Send feedback and news for this column to her at carmen@citizens

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