Are truancy officers real police?

[thecody]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? ny
I was with some friends, some of them were skateboarding, a guy showed up and wanted us so we all ran because we thought he was the guy from the building with the place where we were. He followed me and yelled at me that he was a truancy officer and I stopped. I wasn't a truant. He told me that it was illegal to run from a truancy officer, and he was going to 'find out about me' and contact me again.
Is it really the same running from truancy as running from police? And anyway I stopped when he told me he was one instead of some angry dude, so is it still running if you don't know who they are when you run?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Usually, they are.

 

[cbg]

Posting history is a must.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? ny
I was with some friends, some of them were skateboarding, a guy showed up and wanted us so we all ran because we thought he was the guy from the building with the place where we were. He followed me and yelled at me that he was a truancy officer and I stopped. I wasn't a truant. He told me that it was illegal to run from a truancy officer, and he was going to 'find out about me' and contact me again.
Is it really the same running from truancy as running from police? And anyway I stopped when he told me he was one instead of some angry dude, so is it still running if you don't know who they are when you run?

Was he wearing a police uniform? That can sometimes be a clue.

A lot of truant officers are police officers. I am not sure, though, if it is a requirement in New York for a truant officer to be a member of the police force or not. If not a police officer, though, most truant officers will at least have a law enforcement background. All truant officers work closely with the juvenile court systems and the schools. In fact, some can be employed directly by a school system. Many will have additional backgrounds in social work, education or counseling.

And most, I imagine, do not like it very much when a juvenile runs away from them if told to stop. So, once the truant officer identified himself as a truant officer, it was probably good that you stopped.

That said, if the truant officer was not uniformed and did not announce he was a truant officer originally, and he was approaching you in a way that seemed threatening, your reaction to run might have been the smart or, at any rate, the natural, reaction.

Are you still on probation, thecody?

 

[stealth2]

He's Ba-a-a-a-a-a-ack!

 

[CdwJava]

But, unless he's a police officer assigned as a School Resource Officer and for some bizarre reason he's calling himself a "truant officer," it seems that the term is synonymous with an "attendance officer" and this is an appointed position within a city or school district with exceedingly limited powers of arrest:

http://tiny.cc/yuoc3w

 

[thecody]

Was he wearing a police uniform? That can sometimes be a clue.

Ha no. I don't run from those guys. He had a shirt on about it but I didn't really see that until I went back to him.

Are you still on probation, thecody?

NO

But, unless he's a police officer assigned as a School Resource Officer and for some bizarre reason he's calling himself a "truant officer," it seems that the term is synonymous with an "attendance officer" and this is an appointed position within a city or school district with exceedingly limited powers of arrest:

http://tiny.cc/yuoc3w

So it's probably not any running or resisting or whatever? I don't want any more trouble, and I stopped and went back to him and told him who I was

 

[CdwJava]

Going back was likely the best possible way to stay OUT of trouble. If you want to stay off the radar, then follow the rules ... that also means no more skating or trespassing on the property of others without legitimate and legal business.

 

[thecody]

Going back was likely the best possible way to stay OUT of trouble. If you want to stay off the radar, then follow the rules ... that also means no more skating or trespassing on the property of others without legitimate and legal business.

I'm just worried he's gonna say something to someone. I was just going to school and stopped to say hi to ppl, I wasn't even skating.

 

[quincy]

I'm just worried he's gonna say something to someone. I was just going to school and stopped to say hi to ppl, I wasn't even skating.

First, I am happy to hear that you are no longer on probation - and I imagine your probation officer is pretty happy about it, too.

As long as you were just on your way to school and not doing anything you shouldn't have been doing, even if the truant officer says something to someone, nothing should come of it. You are probably on school and police radar because of your earlier adventures, so you may find yourself getting more attention now than you otherwise might get.

I hope all is going well on the home front, thecody, and here's hoping you can make it through the rest of your schooling without difficulty.

Good luck.

 

[thecody]

First, I am happy to hear that you are no longer on probation - and I imagine your probation officer is pretty happy about it, too.

And I don't want to go back on it.

As long as you were just on your way to school and not doing anything you shouldn't have been doing, even if the truant officer says something to someone, nothing should come of it. You are probably on school and police radar because of your earlier adventures, so you may find yourself getting more attention now than you otherwise might get.

OK cool. I wasn't doing anything. Hope nothing happens. But not cool to be on radars, I know I'm on school radar, they don't get over anything, lol. Yeah, homes real good.
Thanks for the good luck.