(a) Declaration of Curfew. At such times as minors under the age of 18 years are loitering, idling, wandering, strolling or playing in or upon public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public places and public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots or other unsupervised places, within the City, and such conduct, in the opinion of the Mayor and/or Council, is adversely affecting the health, safety or welfare of the residents of the City, the Mayor and/or Council may declare a curfew in effect against such conduct, for the hours prescribed in division (b) of this section, by advertising such curfew in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, and such curfew shall be effective immediately upon one such advertisement of the same. Such curfew shall continue until terminated by the Mayor and/or Council by advertising such termination in a newspaper of general circulation in the City. The Mayor and/or Council may continue such curfew for such period of time as he or she or it determines the same to be necessary for the protection of the health, safety or welfare of the residents of the City.
(Ord. 79-72. Passed 8-21-79.)
(b) Hours.
(1) During the period of curfew, declared by the Mayor and/or Council under division (a) of this section, no minor under the age of 14 years shall be upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public places and public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots or other unsupervised places within the City, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day.
(2) During the period of the curfew declared by the Mayor and/or Council under division (a) of this section, no minor who is 14 or 15 years of age shall be upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public places and public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots or other unsupervised places within the City, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day.
(3) During the period of the curfew declared by the Mayor and/or Council under division (a) of this section, no minor who is 16 or 17 years of age shall be upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public places and public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots or other unsupervised places within the City, between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. of the following day.
(Ord. 93-151. Passed 9-21-93.)
(c) Exceptions.
(1) In the event that any school, church, civic organization, City organization, parent or guardian desires to sponsor entertainment for minors under the age of eighteen years, which entertainment requires such minors to be out at a later hour than that called for in division (b) of this section, then the person sponsoring the event or entertainment shall advise the Chief of Police or officer designated by him of the place of the entertainment and the time it will end. Minors who attend such a function shall be required to be in compliance with division (b) of this section not later than 30 minutes following the time the sponsor indicated that the function would end.
(2) The provisions of division (b) of this section shall not apply to any minor accompanied by his or her parent, guardian or other adult person having the care and custody of the minor, or where the minor is on an emergency errand or upon a business trip directed or ordered by his or her parent, guardian or other adult person having the care and custody of the minor.
(3) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any minor under the age of 18 years where the minor is gainfully employed and the employment requires the minor to be in violation of division (b) of this section and the employment is with the consent and permission of the parents, guardians or other persons having the care and custody of the minor.
(d) Disposition of Child. Any child found in violation of any of the provisions of this section shall be taken to the Police Department and the parent, guardian or person in loco parentis shall be notified to come to the Department and take personal charge of the child. The child shall be released only to the parent, guardian or person in loco parentis or to the juvenile authorities.
(Ord. 79-72. Passed 8-21-79.)
(e) Responsibility of Parent or Business Owner.
(1) No minor shall remain in any public place or other area herein described in violation of this section.
(2) No parent, guardian or other person having the lawful care, custody or control of any minor under the age of eighteen shall knowingly permit, or by insufficient exercise of control allow, the minor to violate division (e)(1) of this section.
(3) No owner, operator or employee of an establishment shall knowingly allow a minor to remain upon the premises of the establishment during curfew hours.
(f) Penalty. Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(Ord. 00-124. Passed 9-5-00.)