“It's not fun to walk behind someone and their pants are at their knees,” said Matt Keen, Director of the Porterville Boys & Girls Club.
Some call it a fashion statement or a fad, but Rodney Martin would like to call "sagging" a crime.
“It makes a statement that we as a community are going to take our community back from this escalating gang activity,” said Martin, a city council candidate.
Martin's platform is anti-gang. The saggy pants ordinance is one of three anti-gang proposals. Offenders would be fined and could receive community service.
“It’s meant to be a deterrent and to tackle two issues; public indecency and to be an anti-gang measure that compliments the two other proposals,” said Martin.
City Councilman Pete McCracken says if Martin wins the election, the ordinance would first have to make it on the agenda and McCracken would not be in favor. While Martin says criminals hide weapons in their saggy pants, McCracken has been told by at least one officer that police don't mind "saggers."
“[Saggers] can't run very fast and it's easier for [officers] to catch them,” said McCracken.
While most folks we spoke to think a ban on saggy pants is a bit over the top, Martin says he's not trying to win a popularity contest.
“I'm the only candidate that has presented serious and concrete proposals. I'm not running for homecoming king or queen, I’m running for city council,” said Martin.
Martin is one of about a dozen people running for three open seats. He also ran in 2010.