Maywood's chief of police has a message for those looking to come to the west Chicago suburb: "If your pants are sagging, stay out of Maywood."
As the city nears five years of a controversial "saggy pants" ordinance, Chief Vladimir Talley said the ordinance is doing just what authorities hoped it would.
Talley said officers are actively enforcing the law, writing roughly 50 such tickets since it began.
Under the rule, exposed underwear in public could result in a $25 fine for the first offense and escalating fines for further violations. Parents are also liable, officials said.
"Do it at home, do it at parties -- when you come out in public pull them up," Talley said. "It doesn't take that long to pull up your pants."
Even years after the ordinance took effect, posters can still be seen around the city announcing the "stop the sag" movement that sparked both criticism and praise.
Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin said he agrees with the ordinance, but notes there are more important things police could be focusing on. He added that he doesn't believe such an ordinance would be adopted county-wide.
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Critics have also claimed the rule is too difficult to enforce and that sagging pants are a part of culture for some.
But many parents in the area have said they approve of the ordinance, some even saying they believe the fine should be higher.
"The ordnance addresses public decency," he said. "It's offensive to many of our residents to see underwear."
Lynwood was the first Chicago suburb to enact the ban in 2008. In March 2011, Sauk Village outlawed pants that hang more than four inches off the hip, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Chicago suburbs of Evanston and Midlothian have also considered the ban. In 2010, Evanston attempted to pass a ban that would fine people up to $750 for wearing pants that were too low.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP have previously said the ban is a form of racial profiling and a violation of free speech.
Former President Barack Obama even addressed the issue in an interview with MTV during his 2008 campaign.
"There are some issues that we face," said Obama, "that you don't have to pass a law, but that doesn't mean folks can't have some sense and some respect for other people, and you know, some people might not want to see your underwear — I'm one of them."
