Truancy Program Aims To Cut Crime

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Police in Charlotte are arresting parents whose children are skipping school in an effort to cut neighborhood crime and keep more students in the classroom.

Channel 9 rode with Officer Catina McClendon around 9 a.m. one day, looking for the parents of students she said are chronically truant.

On Margie Ann Drive in northeast Charlotte, she and Officer John Gorrod arrested Octavia Laney, who admitted to Eyewitness News she's been allowing her daughter to stay home instead of going to school.

"She's missed 21 days?" Eyewitness News reporter Linzi Sheldon asked.

"Mm-hmmm," Laney said.

"Over this past school year?" Sheldon asked.

"Mm-hmm," Laney replied.

"Do you think that's a problem?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't," Laney said.

The goal is to catch students skipping class, some of whom have criminal histories.

Officer Bill Haynes, the director of the truancy program, said the crackdown reduces crimes during school hours that are traced back to students -- crimes like home break-ins, thefts from cars and vandalism.

"If we can keep the kids in school, obviously they're not breaking into homes," Haynes said.

Eight middle schools and five high schools have signed up for the truancy program. One of them -- West Charlotte High School -- is just a few blocks from where police caught up with a 15-year-old student who wasn't in school.

Channel 9 discovered that she's suspected of gang involvement and criminal activity, although police didn't specify what. Officers escorted her back to school.

They said last year, the program helped reduce truancy-related crimes by an average of 19 percent.

Jill Robbins said she thinks the program has made a difference in her northwest Charlotte neighborhood.

"I think that's really helping," Robbins said.

In that area, which includes Coulwood Middle School, there were 118 home break-ins last school year. This year, there have been 85 so far.

The Safe Neighborhood/Truancy initiative was initially started in the Freedom division during the 2007 school year. The initial success of the program gave reason and funding for the grant to grow into other districts and schools. There are now 13 schools directly involved and a number of schools indirectly involved.

To learn more about this program, you can call Officer Haynes at 704-398-6755

WSOC