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A ban on saggy pants

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Pants slung below the waist is a popular fashion statement among young people, but Gardena Councilman Steve Bradford wants to ban the look in the city.
At a Gardena city council meeting Tuesday, Bradford said that saggy-pants wearers are sending the wrong message.
Despite Bradford’s protest, the council delayed a vote on the proposed ordinance.
“We truly are not looking for law enforcement to arrest folks for this,” said Bradford. “This is not an arrestable offense, but we would like a notice of violation, some type of citation, just even engagement and discussion with young folks to say, ‘Do you really think this is appropriate dress?”
Bradford introduced the measure to the city council arguing that wearing pants that hang below the waist, exposing skin or underwear, amounts to indecent exposure.
He observed that although the look is popularized among rappers, it is not an appropriate look for young people.
“If you are not going platinum, you’re not making millions of dollars doing this, then why dress like this?” Bradford observed.
Although the city council put off the vote, Bradford is hoping that the measure will start a conversation among the city’s residents.
Opposers believe that if the proposal is adopted, it would likely face a constitutional challenge. A spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union stated that the ban could be a civil rights violation.

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