33 Parents Arrested For Kids’ Truancy
Outstanding bench warrants for additional parents may result in more arrests
By TERESA MASTERSON
Updated 11:59 PM EDT, Wed, Jan 20, 2010
Police arrested 33 Norristown parents Saturday because their kids haven’t been showing up for school.
Part of the Norristown Truancy Abatement Initiative, parents of students who have not been attending school were sent court notices. Many parents responded to the court notices, but those who ignored them were issued final court notices, then bench warrants and were finally arrested Saturday, reports the Time Herald.
"Truancy is defined as any unexcused absence from school and is strongly related to many troubling factors facing kids,” Norristown Police Chief Russell Bono told the Herald.
Bono said that students who don’t show up for school are at high risk of drug abuse, promiscuous behavior, getting involved in violent acts, dropping out of school and suicide attempts.
Local authorities want to keep parents accountable so that they can keep their children accountable.
“Parents who fail to respond to citations issued by the court will he held accountable,” said Norristown Police Lt. Kevin McKeon. “It is the right of all children of mandatory school age to receive a quality education and be provided with the skills to graduate and succeed in life.”
The arrests were headed by the Norristown Police Department, the Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office and District Justice Ester Casillo.
According to McKeon, there are many more households that have outstanding bench warrants on this issue.
“I strongly suggest that parents who have outstanding warrants go to District Court and respond to this court notice, as warrants will be enforced on an ongoing basis,” said McKeon.
First Published: Jan 20, 2010 1:02 PM EDT
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