Truancy Abatement and Burglary Suppression (TABS)
Natalie was 14 years old and rarely went to school. When she was first brought to TABS, she was a year behind in school and had missed over 80 out of 120 days of class. It seemed hopeless: Natalie was a lost cause.
Except the situation wasn’t hopeless. Because of TABS, Natalie went back to school, caught up on her school work and completed the eighth grade. She’s now attending a high school in Milwaukee.
About TABS
Established in 1993, TABS is a comprehensive support intervention program for truant young people. It allows for the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Public Schools and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee to attack the problems of truancy and juvenile crime head on.
It all starts with four Milwaukee Police Department Officers. Every school day, these officers identify truant youth on the streets of Milwaukee and bring them to a TABS Center inside the Mary Ryan and Don & Sallie Davis Boys & Girls Clubs. On the north and south side of the city, respectively, each TABS center consists of a Milwaukee Police Officer, a school liaison officer, a school social worker and a Boys & Girls Club case manager. Collectively, the TABS staff checks for warrants or missing-person reports, looks at school demographics and attendance information and reviews the case.
After this initial evaluation process, a case manager meets with habitually truant students to identify and discuss factors contributing to the truancy. If necessary, the case manager coordinates follow-up services with the school, parents, guardians and whoever else is involved with the youth. The goal is not to punish youth for missing class, but to attack the root causes of truant behavior so they can return to school and thrive.