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Opa-locka Commish Wants Women To Pull Up Their Pants

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — An Opa-locka commissioner wants women to pull up their pants.

In 2007, the city banned pants that expose undergarments. Now the commission is considering revising the ordinance to allow police officers to ticket men and women who violate the rule.

Commissioner Dorothy Johnson is sponsoring the change. She says she believes some women in the city need to improve their image.

Johnson said she got the idea for revising the ordinance after seeing young women walking around the city with their underwear showing, similar to the men the original ordinance focused on.

"I heard a little boy say, 'Mommy, pull your pants up, that man is looking at you," Johnson said. "Your son is telling you this, and she didn't see anything wrong with it."

Johnson hopes to have female police officers and community aides to speak with women to provide feedback. Then, she hopes to offer potential ordinance revisions in December.

"I don't want people to be fined just to be fined, I want to flesh it out and have some town hall meetings," she said.

Violators currently face a $500 fine, which is double the original amount, or 25 hours of community service. Sentences are determined during a hearing by the city's code enforcement board and a city magistrate.

So far this year, 72 people have been ticketed for wearing baggy pants.

Commissioner Timothy Holmes sponsored the original ordinance in 2007. It banned sagging pants in city parks and buildings. The ordinance was revised in 2010 to include any public place in the city.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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