Chapter 9.40
CURFEW FOR MINORS
Sections:
9.40.030 Daytime and nighttime curfew and prohibitions.
9.40.010 Purpose and Intent.
(a) The City has a compelling interest in reducing the rate of juvenile crime and victimization. Minors are particularly vulnerable to violence and to the pressure to participate in criminal activity due to their limited ability to make critical decisions in an informed and mature manner. Enactment and enforcement of a daytime and nighttime juvenile curfew reduces the amount of juvenile crime and victimization.
(b) In addition to reducing the rate of juvenile crime and victimization, a daytime curfew also serves to promote the City’s compelling interest in prohibiting daytime presence in public places by those subject to compulsory education. State law requires all persons between the ages of 6 and 18 to attend school. Regular school attendance provides important benefits not only to the students themselves but also to the health, safety, and welfare of all residents within the City.
(c) The community as a whole suffers when a minor student is not attending school. Truancy also often leads to vandalism, petty theft, daytime burglaries, and other criminal activity. Truants often tend to loiter in and about public places. Frequently, persons going about their lawful business as well as public property become targets of the delinquent behavior of truants when they should be in school.
(d) This Article is intended to assist with the policing of public places in the City during specified daytime and nighttime hours, and the prevention of crimes by and against minors during those hours. It is not intended to interfere with or supersede the enforcement of state laws regulating education or truancy or with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s truancy programs. Rather, this Article is intended to provide the City with an additional proactive intervention tool to protect youth and prevent crime.
(Code 1965, § 4100; Code 2002, § 66-71. Ord. No. 777; Ord. No. 95-4; Ord. No. 11-4)
9.40.020 Definitions.
The following definitions shall govern the application and interpretation of the curfew regulations set forth in this article.
Nighttime Curfew hours. The hours between midnight to 5:00 a.m. for minors.
Daytime Curfew hours. The period of the minor’s regular scheduled school hours when the minor’s school is in session.
Emergency. An unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action. “Emergency” includes, but is not limited to, a fire, a natural disaster, an automobile accident, or any situation requiring immediate action to prevent serious bodily injury or loss of life.
Errand. A trip to carry a message or do a definite lawful thing.
Guardian.
(1) A person who, under court order, is the guardian of the person of a minor; or
(2) A public or private agency with whom a minor has been placed by a court; or
(3) A person who is at least 18 years of age and authorized by a parent or guardian to have the care and custody of a minor.
Minor. Any person under 18 years of age.
Parent. A person who is a natural parent, adoptive parent, or step-parent of a minor.
Public place. Any place to which the public has access, including, but not limited to, streets, roads, alleys, trails, sidewalks, parks, recreational areas, public grounds or buildings, vacant lots or buildings, common areas of a school (except during regular school hours), office buildings, transport facilities, restaurants, retail establishments, places of amusement, parking lots, or other unsupervised places.
Responsible adult. A person at least 18 years of age and authorized by a parent or guardian to have the care and custody of a minor.
(Code 1965, § 4101; Code 2002, § 66-72. Ord. No. 777; Ord. No. 95-4; Ord. No. 11-4)
9.40.030 Daytime and nighttime curfew and prohibitions.
Except as provided in section 9.40.040 below:
(1) Nighttime curfew. Every minor who is present in, about, or upon any public place during nighttime curfew hours is guilty of an infraction.
(2) Daytime curfew. Every minor who is subject to compulsory education or to compulsory continuation education who is not in possession of a valid, school issued, off-campus permit giving permission to leave campus or not receiving instruction by a qualified tutor pursuant to Education Code §48224 or not otherwise exempt from attendance at a public or private full-time day school as set forth in the California Education Code, who is present in, about, or on any public place during the daytime curfew hours is guilty of an infraction.
(3) Every parent or guardian who knowingly allows or permits a minor to violate any provision of this section is guilty of an infraction.
(Code 1965, § 4102; Code 2002, § 66-73. Ord. No. 120; Ord. No. 95-4; Ord. No. 11-4)
9.40.040 Exceptions.
The provisions of section 9.40.030 shall not apply when:
(1) The minor is coming directly home from a public meeting, or a place of public entertainment, such as a movie, play, or sporting event. This exception will apply for one-half hour after completion of the event. This exception shall apply to nighttime curfew only;
(2) The minor is exercising his First Amendment rights protected by the United States or California Constitutions. This exception shall apply to nighttime curfew only.
(3) The minor is authorized to be absent from his or her school pursuant to applicable school rules, or under the provisions of the California Educational Code or any applicable state or federal law. This exception shall apply to daytime curfew only.
(4) The minor is receiving home or private school instruction pursuant to California Education Code Section §48222. This exception shall apply to daytime curfew only.
(5) The minor is legally employed for the period from one-half hour before to one-half hour after work, while going directly between his home and place of employment. This exception shall also apply if the minor is in a public place during curfew hours in the course of his employment, provided the minor carries a written statement from the employer attesting to the place and hours of employment.
(6) The minor is accompanied by his parent, guardian or responsible adult;
(7) The minor is on the sidewalk abutting the minor’s residence or abutting the residence which is immediately adjacent to his residence.
(8) The minor is engaged in an errand directed by his parent or guardian, or by his or her spouse who is 18 years of age or older;
(9) The minor is attending an official school, religious or other cultural, educational or recreational activity supervised by adults and sponsored by the City of Concord, a civic organization, or another similar entity or organization that takes responsibility for the minor, or going to or returning home from, without any detour or stop, any official school, religious, or other cultural, educational or recreational activity supervised by adults and sponsored by the City of Concord, a civic organization, or another similar entity or organization that takes responsibility for the minor;
(10) The minor is responding to or acting pursuant to an emergency;
(11) The minor is in a motor vehicle involved in interstate travel;
(12) The minor is emancipated in accordance with the California Family Code or other state or federal law.
(13) The minor is going to or coming directly from a school-approved or school related business, trade, profession, occupation or program in which the minor is lawfully engaged, such as a work study or work experience program, subject to verification by a proper school authority.
(14) The minor is going directly to or from an event or activity that is directly related to any medical condition of a parent, guardian or spouse who is 18 years or older.
(Code 1965, § 4103; Code 2002, § 66-74. Ord. No. 120; Ord. No. 95-4; Ord. No. 11-4)
9.40.050 Enforcement.
(a) A police officer, upon reasonable cause based on articulable facts that an individual is in violation of the curfew regulations, shall detain that individual, ascertain whether the individual is a minor, and if so, determine if the minor has a legitimate reason based on the exceptions detailed in section 9.40.040 for being in apparent violation of the curfew regulations set forth in this Article.
(1) Upon the first violation of the curfew regulations, the police officer shall issue to the minor a warning citation regarding the consequences of a subsequent violation. The Chief of Police or his designee shall mail to the parents or legal guardian of the minor a notification that the minor has been found in violation of curfew regulations, and that any subsequent violation of section 9.40.030 shall result in the issuance of an infraction to the minor and/or the parents or legal guardian. This notice shall require the parents or legal guardian to sign and return the notification and include space for the explanation of any circumstances relevant to any applicable exception from section 9.40.030.
(2) Upon any subsequent violation of section 9.40.030, the minor and/or the parents or guardian of the minor shall be charged with an infraction, a conviction of which shall be punished by:
a. A fine not exceeding $100 for the first violation;
b. A fine not exceeding $200 for the second violation within the same twelve (12) month period;
c. A fine not exceeding $500 for each addition violation within the same twelve (12) month period.
(3) This section shall not be construed to abridge the authority of a police officer to assume temporary custody, during school hours, of any minor subject to compulsory full time education or compulsory continuing education found away from his or her home and who is absent from school without a valid excuse, and return such minor to their school of registration, pursuant to California Education Code §§ 48264 and 48265.
(4) This section shall not be construed to limit the authority of the court to render any disposition authorized by Welfare and Institutions Code Section 258, subdivision (a), or any other provision of the Juvenile Court Law.
(Code 2002, § 66-75. Ord. No. 11-4)
9.40.060 Severability.
If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Article or the application thereof to any person or place, is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remainder of this Article. The City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this Article, and each and every section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more section, subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses, phrases or portions thereof be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
(Code 2002, § 66-76. Ord. No. 11-4)