City Repeals 13 Year Old Law Banning Saggy Pants

The name of the town is pronounced (O-PA-LOCK-A). Opa-locka was once a beautiful little town on Florida's east coast, above Miami. But being so close to Miami, it's not so nice anymore.

13 years ago the city council had enough of young people walking around town with their pants hanging below their butts. They were trying to improve the image of the place, after all. This was not helping.

But after all this time the Opa-locka City Commission has just voted a 4-1 vote to repeal the original 2007 legislation.

Some might wonder, why repeal it? Was it unenforceable?

“I was never in support of it, even as a resident,” said Vice Mayor Chris Davis. He sponsored the repeal and he told the Miami Herald. “I felt it disproportionately affected a certain segment of our population, which is young, African-American men.”

13 years ago the ALCU agreed. They called it a “ridiculous waste of public resources,” saying it would “impose overly harsh penalties for victimless behavior” and disproportionately affect Black youths.

There is some work to do yet, like taking down the signs that still warn folks of the ordinance. Yes, they have signs for this. NOT KIDDING. They showing a silhouette of two young men wearing pants below their with words reading “No ifs, ands or butts … It’s the city law!”