O.C. anti-gang curfew sweep results in arrests of 29 juveniles

Orange County District Attorney, Press Release

For Immediate Release: May 10, 2013

LAW ENFORCEMENT NET 29 JUVENILES IN 5TH ANNUAL OC GRIP CURFEW SWEEP

ORANGE COUNTY – Over 180 law enforcement officers from 19 agencies netted 29 juveniles in violation of city curfew laws last night in the 5th annual curfew sweeps by the Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP). OC GRIP aims to prevent juveniles from being victims of or participants in gang crimes by identifying at-risk youth, increasing school attendance, and decreasing gang activity.

Last night and early this morning, officers patrolled Orange County cities and unincorporated areas for children ages 17 and under out in public past curfew, in violation of city laws. Curfews in Orange County begin at 10:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m., depending on the city, and last until 5:00 a.m. the following day. Minors are prohibited from being in public during these hours unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian or are subject to circumstantial exceptions made for minors participating in employment, educational, or emergency activities.

The on-duty teams conducted the sweeps during regular patrol at no extra cost to taxpayers and found 29 juveniles in violation of curfew ordinances. The curfew sweeps focused mainly on areas with a high volume of gang and/or criminal activity and all gang injunction Safety Zones.

The minors found in violation of curfew laws were taken in police cars to law enforcement headquarters and held until their parents arrived to pick them up. Before releasing the juvenile to their parent, the juvenile and parent were required to meet with representatives from the Orange County District Attorney’s (OCDA) Office and other participating law enforcement agencies to discuss the dangers and legal consequences for both the parent and child who violate curfew laws. The legal consequences of violating curfew laws could include misdemeanor criminal prosecution with penalties ranging from fines up to six months in jail for the parent, juvenile hall for the child, plus the associated financial costs. The juveniles and their parents also met with probation officers for references to resources such as parenting classes, substance abuse treatment and family therapy.

The OC GRIP curfew sweeps were hosted by the OCDA, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange Police Department, and Orange County Probation Department. The participating agencies included police departments from the Cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Habra, Newport Beach, Placentia, Santa Ana, Tustin, Westminster, and the California State University, Fullerton Police Department and Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department.

Community Service Programs, Inc. and Pepperdine Resource, Youth Diversion, and Education (PRYDE) were community partners for these sweeps and Saddleback Church and Chick-Fil-A of Orange generously donated food and drinks for this event.

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Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney
401 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Contacts:

Susan Kang Schroeder
Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718

Farrah Emami
Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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