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Home My WebLink About0245.095\ . / ·,"·-~"<~·ij':-j'~.:~~, ~ .. .;-, ""'. / ;--~:.». ~ ..... , City of Palo Alto City l\tlanager's Summary Report HONORABLE ern COUNCn. FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: DATE: May 15. 1995 CMR:24S:9S SL'BJECT: SIX MONTH EVALUATION OF THE JUVENILE CURfi:W ORDlNA.1IICE REQJ!ES[ The purpose ol this l'ef-orl is to p<""ide information regarding llIe enforcement cf the ordinance dtal amended Chaple. 9.24 oC Il1e Palo Alto Municipal Code relating 10 jc'Venile curkw regulations. Coondllook tills action 00 July 18,1994, at tl;e requestoCu." p,,~ Departmelll in efforts 10 deal with increased you tll viole ru;e and gang activity oo.erved during the Spring ol last year. At that time, Council (Erected staff 10 return in approximately six months "ith an ovalu.tion of the effa;; ""ness of enforcement ol the . Ordinance; focm an ad hoc commjttee for !lie purpose of developing long-Ie"" s!'''legy recommendations 10 reduce youth -violence and gang activity in the community and 10 report back on the committee's progress; and report back on incremental funding needed for stepped-up enforcement ol nuisance issues identif1ed in the Addison and Ventura neighborlloods . .RECOMMElIDATIO No Council actioo is requested at Ibis time. The information is provided 10 serve as I basis for Cooncil <Ii scussion. POUCY IMPIJCA'UO!\iS Because Ibis report is informational in nature, there are DO related pulicy implications at this time. ExWITiVE SI1MM"RY Las! summer. the Police Departmenl re«""sted that Coonru repeal and reena<;l Cbapter 9.24 olthe Palo Alto Municipal 0Jde dealing with juvenile curfew regulation. Afu:r lnp ... t fromcommunily voups (Human Relations Commission, the Youtll COIlno1, CilytScbool ...,.Iot , . , , .'. 6 /. liaison Cornminee and representatives ol the Palo Alto CounC1l ol IT As) v.' •• received and clarificatWn> were made ecru:ern\ng \he curfe .... hours and how the ordinance would be used, Cooncilarnended the oMm .. "" on July 18. 1994. At that time, Council <fuecied slafflO re~Jrl! in six J1IOiltbs ""Ill an evaluation of how the o,-dinance bad been enforced. III that evaluation, Coo neil requested that staff returl "ith aRypotential incremenlal tu,,,fing needs that migbl be associated with enforcement efforts i~ Ibe Ventura .IId Addison neighborhoods. Additionally. CQUocil cfU'ec\ed staff \0 worT< with appropriate cominunil)' groupo in me developrneot of • proa<:uve, ~itive program 10 address youth violence and gang activity. This report provides an update on eacb olthose directives. Enfarcement of Orrfj nance While the amended C<CIinance be<:ame offecliv. on September I. 1994, actual enfoccoment act.'vities cfld DOt begin until Oc!OOer I. 1994. Betw..,. September arod October, communiI)' educational outreach effMs were conducled; and a brochure describing the O<dinance W2S prepared ~nd distributed 10 young people. SjJeclfic.Uy, about ISO hoors were spent speal<i."g 10 parent grO'Jps and students in tile classrooms aboul L"" ordinance. AlsO during this time, • department policy guidefine was prepared.nd personnel received lraining on its conlents. The poIi.y includes information 00 the specifics ol the oMn.nce. enforcement prolocol, notification of p"ents, and ~king ol ;nformatW!l associated with f>e cootacts. Thepcolocoi prohibits officers from detaining juvenile. based upoD arJre. l3CC, 0< gender. Prior!o tiling any Ic600, officers .sk the minor'. age and reasons foc , ;.,.mg ml~ place 10 determine wbetber any ol tr.e exceptions lisled in the occlinance apply. ArresIs are no( 10 be made unless the minor has receIved prior warnings and a cum"" viotali..')(} bas actually occurred. First-time offenders r<cdn warnlngs and repeat offenders may be referred 10 the Santa Clara Coon:)' Joverole Probation Department. M detailed in monlhl)' repor" to the Huma.~ Relalions CQrnmhsion, t~.roug" the month ol ApciI 36 young people have been oonta<led and warned by police officers about curfew violations. Police officers have nol encountered any repeal offenders. The C01ltacts included 22 Caucasians, 1 H'lspanics, and 7 Asians. Of \hose, oImcst 6() percent bave been Palo Alto residents. Ages ollhose young people conlacteJ have ranged from 1210 !1 years old. Times ol ""ntact have ranged from 11:00 p.m. 10 oImost 4:00 a.m. Although contacts were made 00 every ~jgh( ol the ..,eek, the mo;( contacts .. 'ere made Q<l Thursdays (0) .nd Saturdays (l D). '., ~< . ".' ; . ....: '. <..:~ ,. I I ~ < •. '. "".0: ~ "'. --'. -..-::--::..:-.... Soolc <X !he young ~ IMt re<:ci,ed curfew warnings were initially con\acte<l fo< other vioIalions sucll as petty !heft .. -.:I trespassing< Locatior .. of contact were spread Ihtooghoul !he Cily. with the downtown ar.a being the primary area. Pa!'en!l ofall yoong people ",00 received w&mings .. <ere ooIilied by polk<: off~rs< Ir.the majority ofcases.1he parenlS were "naware lll.ttheir~hildreB were actually not at borne< III J~ 1994, SI8if reponed !1>at 64 minors had been arrested foc various offellSe. during the previoos year i>eN'eealhe hours of 11:00 p<m. and 6:00 8<ffi< Since the cunew ordilll\nce bas beeD enfo<ced. onIy 49 min<><> have been arre>ted during those hoors< it sI".oold be poinred 0-.>1 tha! wbile there were a 100000f B mo<e minocs arreSled during curfew bours Ill,n !he 36 who were warned. the maj<>rity of those 13 juveniles were wesIed fur muck more serlous offen"", and. subsequently. Ille "",few violation ","aming was Dot documented < Durin, !he dis.:ussions thai preceded the ocdinsnce amendment, coocems were raised about the potenliJll 'cl!ilIi.og effect' the ordinance .. ould bave on law-abiding loung people. WIIile sIaff "as not conducted lJ1actual survey. numer" •• cocversation. betwee. $f.aft members andyo.n! people in tile community during the last few months have resulW ill • mixed response. Some young people have iOOK:ated that !he ordinance has not interfered willl their freedom due 10 all the exceptions thai allow them 10 be in public lawfuily. Other young people have responded thaI !hey still fee: CO"strai ned by the pr",';sloru of Ibe ~. . A.ddjsooNenftlrl Neighb.xbaods n-e Addisoo and Venturz neighbornoods ,.ere IC ~>llVe been t'>e focus of anenOOn since lasl "'!lIme'. due Ie the increased aclivi!) and the assoc,aled concerns e xp<essed t·y residents in those areas < Comr_ri"g ",.ns for se ... i<:e is !hoselwo areas between Septembe! 1993 aoo April 1994 and belwee. September ) 994 and Apnl 1995 sbows both an overall decrease as well as a decrease during the curfew hours. Specificaliy, in the Ve!1lura a...,a Ibete was I 34 perce!ll decrease i. calls ro.: se",ic<: during C\!rfew hours and & 11 porcen! dccrease """ran. In the AQdiooo area. there was • 73 percent decrease i. calls f« ser.ic<: during curfe ... boors and .63 percent de,,= overan. (Refer I<> AlllChment A for delaib.) While sWf ""'" not believe the "urfew ",dinance ",as the primary factor fo< Illis decrease. there is reason 10 believe it lias played some role. Pae< 1 at , . ' , .. -" Ad_Hn." Committee. I. November. an Ad Hoc Commit!e<' .. os fo"ned 10 deal with Ccuncil'. dlJ'eC'!iv. cooceming !he deveJq>meot ofloog-Ierm S!nilegy recommendations 10 ckal with ale issue 0( youth violence and gang .~tivity. The Commilt¢e indude. representatives (rom Ihe y~ C'()unciI, Human Reladons Commission. Pal" Alto Unified School District School Board and staff. YMCA. Adoles.::ent Counseling SeNk<:s. the PTA Council. Mayfield CooImunit)' Clinic, Boy Scouts of America. Palo Alto Mediation Prog!"d.rt1, City of Palo A..1!0 Recreation, Human Services and Pof>:. Departments, and Family S<:rvice M'KI Penillsula. Recent additions 10 Ihe Commitlee include I member of Ihe business community and anOt1ler young person. The C om.mille' ~as mel once I month sir.c.e lost November. From Ihe ,'cry first meeting. Committee mc"..bers realized that there 1<re many "xisting programs and ";:enc"ies that a1rcsdy deal with different aspects of yC'\Jel! vidence and' gang actiV!ty causes and resuhs. lA the inte-Tl!st of not wanting to dupf-icate efforts, most of Ihe meetings 10 date have been spent learning aoou"t whal is already in place IUld working. After reconfirming thal yoot" violence and gang activity are the result 0( various fact<>n .nd after understanding ~'le importance 0( placing I positive emphasis 00 the Committee·s rni~ the memf)crs adopted a r.c'''' .;omrrutt..ee oame .. Positive AlIernatives foe Youth Commitlee (PAF¥). ID recent "", .. lings lbe Committee finalized it:J mission, 'To develop recomrrendations for Iong-Ierm strate.Ilks aimed al providing a safe wvironrr.ent. p<>Sitive a1tereatives and growlh opportunities fo< young pc<>pIe and k> n:duce violence k>. by and IlI'JOIlg yootlt'. Additionafly. specifiC pcocess step' have been identified thal will be followed in Ihe devekJpmeri of !he recommeooations. ...·bile ch. prO.:Css is raking longer !han antieipated. st>ff believes thal tile resulting recommendations will be meaningful and effective. S>.aff will returD 10 Coolk.--H pcio< to "'" ordina"ce's sunset date of Oc!ober 31,1995. with an .. lIIua!lon based Up"" Ihe entire year-. FlSC,u,1MP4Cf Ocher !han associated staffing resources dedicated 10 the enforcement of the ordin.noe. Ihe 3anl! lask fOC'CC and participation in PAFY. ilie,e ar. no fiscal impacts al chi, time. F-NVIRONMENTM. ASSF$SMENT 'l'bere are no usociated envir'{.>runental issues. • PREPARED BY: CITY M..>.NAGER APPROVAL: AtIllclIrneDlS: Attachmenl A A&llson Neighborhood Addison Neighborbood Ven!l>ra Neighborhood " 71 700 ATIACHMENT A Total Calls for Service 552 (63) (21) Calls for Service between II p.m. and 6 •. m. II 3 (13) 165 109 (34)