The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About0460.095• • City of Palo Alto City Manager's Report ---- HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FRO1\(: CITY MANAGER DEPARTML'IT: POLICE DATE: Oclober 19, 1995 CMll:460:95 SUBJECT: Curfew Ordinance Statu. Report REOUEST The purpose of this report is 10 pr""id<: Council with I status report on the curfew ordinance and with information reganfing events t!w have resulted in I delay in the development of any =<lI1ltIICIIdat regarding I permanent curfew ordinance. The current ordinance .onsets on 0cI0ber 31. 1995. Staff intended 10 bring Ihi5 matter tack 10 Cooncil prio< 10 the sunset date; however. owing 10 an cpportunity 10 recei,'e public input at the October 12, 1995 Human RdlIIions Commissioo (liRC) meeting. and survey infonnation that is still being rompiJed, this matter will now come before C.ouncil after the present curfew ordinance eXpires. RECOMMENDATIONS No CounCIl action is requested at this time. Staff ""ill review an of the data and input and retunl. 10 ConnciI with • complete evaluati<ln of the ye ..... experien<:e and a re=nmendation. The SUbject is tentatively scheduled for the Council agenda of November 13. 1995. POLICY I!Ifl'LlCA TIONS Be<:.use this is an informational rep<lrt, u-.ere are DO related policy implications at this time. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On 1uIy 1 B, 1994. Council approved the amendment of Chapter 9.24 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code relating 10 yJVetli1e <:uJfew regulations, in response to a request by the Police Department 10 &:aI widt increased youth vi<llence and gang activity observed during the Spring of last year. C<>an<:il's action mandated that the ordinance sunsel on 0cl00er 31. 1995. Further, Counct1 dim:led stalIlo retun. in six ffivnllls widt an evaluation cf 111. effectiveness of 1110 ordinan«; bm an ad bot committee {or the purpose of d<:veloping Iong-tenn strategy recommendations 10 reduce youdt violence and gang activity in the community and report back on incremental funding needed for stepped np enforcement of nuisance issues identified in !be Addisoo and Ventura neighbodloods. These issues were addressed.in I report dated May 15, 1995 CMR:460:9S ho<lol' ""~""_'_~_O> __ " ___ ',"",<'_"< ___ ""'" '-:-~_""""'_-___ ,,",..J>,..'~-'''''''''''--- , , , , • t , " "t , ' ~ .. - o ;."J ~: (CMR:24S:9S) which is allach.<t Also, at Council dLrection, staff has ....". m<:eling pcriodicaIIy with the HRC liaison, Ms. Trina Loverchcck, and has provided the Human R.elalioos Commission with monthly reports in an effort 10 ensu.", an nn<ler<tanding 0( the enforcement lCIivi!ies. Staff had originally ageDdized the cuIfew ordinance Co< the Council meeting 0( October 16, 1995. Last week, however, staff learned of an opportunity 10 attend the HRC meeting on 0cI0b<r 12, I99S, during which public comment and discussion was to occur. Staff attended the HRC meeting and received wluable information from the public, members of the Youch ~il and the Commission members. AdditionAlly, in order 10 gel information from young people in the corruDlmity, as part 0(. swvq' rIc1."Joped by the ad hoc committee, Positive Ahemotives for Yauth. sevcn1 questions pertaining 10 the curfew ordinance were included. The survey was rlistn1>uted 10 700 young people. Survey responses are still being received and the infonnation is being compiled. CcnsiSIeDI with the SllIlset date provision, the Police Department will stop Cllforcement activities on October 31, I99S. Staff doe. nor anticipate that lhis action win present any signifi<:anl public safety problems. FISCAL iMPACT Other than lSSO<:iated staffing resource. dedica!ed 10 the enforcement 0( the ordinance until October 31. 1995, the gang IaSk force and participation in the ad hoc wmmillee, there are DO fiscal impacts at this time. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT This report does not c:oostitute • project under California Environmental Quality Act, therefore, an cnvironmentalassessment is nO! required. AlTACHMENTS CMR:245:9S PREPARED BY: Chris Durkin. Police Chief Lynne Johnson, Assistant Police Chief ", ,\ , , DEPARTMENT HEAD RE CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: cc: Hwnan R<:lations Conunission ,..,,300 .. City of Palo Alto City Manager's Summary Report TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM: CITY MAl"IAGER DEPARTMENT: DATE: May IS, 1995 CMR.:24S:9S SUBJECT: SIX MONTH EVALUATION OF TIIE JUVENILE CURFEW ORDINANCE REQlJEST The pwpose of this report is 10 provide information regarding the enforcemer.t of the Otdinance 1hat amended Chapter 9.24 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code relating to juvenile curfew regulations. Council lOOt this action on July IS, 1994. at Ibe request of the i'olice Department in efforts to deal with increased yooth violence and gang activity observed during the .Spring of last year. At lIlat time, Council directed staff to retUTII in approximately six months with an evliluation of the effective ness of enforcement of Ill. ordinance; form an ad hoc committee for the purpose of developing Iong·"'rm strategy recommendations to reduce youth violence and gang activity in the community and to report (;ad: on the <:OOUninee'. progress; and report back on incremental funding needed for stepped-up enforcement of nuisance issues identified in the Addison and Ventura neighborhoods. RECOMMENDATIONS No Council actioa is requested al this time. The information is provided 10 serve as I basis Cor Council mscus.;o". po! JCY IMPI JC It.TIONS .Because this report is informational in nature, there are no related policy implications at this time. EXECIITIVE Sl!MM4RY Last summer, the Police Department requested that Council repeal .:K! reenact Chapter 9.24 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code dealing with juvelllle curfew regulation. After input from community groops (Human Reiations Commhsion. the Yootn Counc~. CitylSchool Pap loCI • 6 o ., , .. "'. .- . '.- Liaison Committee and representatives of the Palo Alto CouncI1 of PI As) was received and clarifi<:ations "'ere ",.ade concerning the curfew bours and how tr.e ordinance would be OS<d, Council amended !be ordina,,,,,, on lu1y 18, 1994. Atlhat time, Council alTected stMflO retum in six months with an evaluation of how the ordinance had bee. enforced. Ia that eva1uation, Council re<juested that staff return with ~ny 'potential incremental funding needs that might be as.aciated with enforcement efforts in the Veruura and Addison neighborhoods. Additionally, Cooncil au-ected .taff 10 ,.·erle with appropria.te community groups in the development of I proactive, positive program 10 address youth vioIen<e and gang activity. This report provides an update on each of those am,etive •. Enfar:cement rlOrrfinance While !be amended onfmance becIDne effective on September I, 1994, actual enforcement activities did not begin .nbl October I, 1994. Between September and Oclober, community educational outreach efforts were rooouCled; and a brochure describing the ordinance was prepared and distributed 10 young people. Specifically •• boot I SO hours we ... spent spealcing kJ parent groups and students in the c1assrocms abou! the ardinar.ce, Also during Itois time. a department policy guider.ne was prepared and personnel received training 011 its contents, The policy includes information on ~~e specifics of til. ordinance, enforcement protocol. DOtificatioo of parents. and traclci ng of information associated with the ronlllc!s. The protocol prohibits offICers from delllining juveniles based upon a!tir:, nee. oc gender. Prior 10 taking any action, officers asle the minor's age and reasons f(Jt being in • public place 10 delennine "'bether any of the exceptions listed i. the ordinance apply. Arrests are nO( 10 be made unless the minor has received prior warnings lJld • curfew violation bas actually cocurred. First-time offenders receive warnings and repeat offenders may be refened 10 the Santa Clara County ]uver~le Probation Department. As det.ailed in monthly reports 10 the Human Relations Commission, through the month of April 36 younll people bave been contacted and warned by police offu:er> aboot curfew violations. Police officers have _ <:neountered any repeat offenders. The contacts included 22 Caucasians, 7 HiSPODics. and 1 Asians. Of those, almost 60 percent have been Palo Alto residents. Age. of those young people contacted bave ranged from 12 10 11 years old. Times of contact have ranged from 11:00 p.m. 10 almost 4:00 .,m. Althoogb contacts were made on every night of the week. the most contacts were made on Thursday. (10) lJld Saturdays (10). '.lof I , Some oC!he young people !hal r=ive<! curfew warnings wero initiall y contacted fo< other vioIaIions suclo to petty Chef! and trespassing. Locations of contact were spread Ihrooghoot tile Cily. with tile downtowll ami being the primlll)' area. ParenIs of all young people who received warnings were notified by poI;.;e officers. In tile majority of cases, !he parents were unaware that tlleir childreo were actually nol at bome. In June 1994, staff reported tllet 64 minors had been arre.ted for vmoos offense. during !he previous year between tile boo ... of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 I.m. Since the curfew ocdinance has bee. enforce<!, only 49 minors have been arrested during those boo ... It should be pcinted out th.t while L""re were a IOta! of 13 more minors arre,ted during curfew bour. than tile 36 who were warned, the majori!:; of those 13 jwerules were 8ITeSIed b-much more oeriou. offen ... and. sub .. qu.n~y, tile curfew ,ioIation warning was not documented. During the discussions !hal pf-eceded tile ooiinance amendment, concems were raioed about \he potential ·chilling effect" 1he ordinance woold I>ove on I ..... ·abiding young people. While .1lIff has not conducted an actual survey, Dumerous conve .... tions between 'taff me:nllen and young people in tile community during the last few months have resulted in Il milled response. Some yooDg people have ;oo;cated .thBl the ordinance has 00l interfered wilh Ibeir freedom due 10 all !he exceptions that allow them 10 be in public IJowfuIly. Other young peeple have responded that tlley .tin fccl constrained by the provisions of tile ordinance. J"ddisonNcnftJCJ NeigbhQrboods 1be Addison and Venrum neighborhoods were 10 have been the focus of attention since last SIII1UIleF, due 10 the increased activity and tile associated concerns e.presoed by residents ill those areas. Comparing calls for .. rvice in those two areas be,wee. September 1993 and April 1994 and betw~n Seplember 1994 and April 1995 shows boa. an overall decrease as wei! as a decrease during the curfew bours. Specifically. in tile Ventura &rea !here was • 34 peroenl decrease in calls for service during curfew hours and a 17 percenl decrease averaIl. In the Addison area, there was • 73 percent decrease in calls for service during curfew boors and I 63 percent decrease overall. (Refer 10 Attachment A for details.) WhlJe staff does 001 believe 1he curfew ooiinance .. 'as tile primlll)' facIO< for this decrease. there is reason 10 believe it has played some role. , .. \. .. J .....lot , • .' " - o Ad HoC Committee Ia Noveonber, an Ad Hoc Commi~ was formed to deal ""ith Council's Ifrrective corx:emir.g!he develcpmentcfJong-lerm strategy recommendaooos 10 deal with the issue ol)louCh .'ioIence and gang Ictivi!),. The Committee includes representatives from the YOUlh Cooncil. Hum .. ~ ReloooO$ Commission, Palo A.lto Unified Schoof District Schoo! Board and staff. YMCA, Adoiescenl Counseling Se,,·ias, the PTA Couucil. Mayfield CommuniI)' Clinic, Boy ScouIS of America, Palo Alto Mediation Progn.m, City of PaJo Alto Recteation, Huma" Services and Police Departments, and Family Service Mid Peninsula. Recell1 additions 10 the Committee include I member of the business communiI)' and .. "1OIher young person. The Committee has met once I month since last November. From Ibe very first meeting. Commitlee members realized thaI there are ma.y existing programs and agencies that already deal with differenl aspeCIS of youth ~'ioIence and gang aclivity causes and results. 10 the interest of not """ting 10 duplicate efforts, most of the meetings 10 date have been spenllearnin8 oboul ,.hat is already in place and working. Afu:.r reconlirnllng lI1al youl/1 violence and gang activUy are the result ol various RCIon and after understanding the importance of placing a positive emphasis on the Committee's mission, the members adopt.cd • new committee name .. Positive Alternative. foc Youth Committee (pAFy). 10 recent meetings !he Committee finalized its mission. 'To develop recommendations for long-term strategies aimed at providing' safe environment, positive alternatives and growth opportunities foc young people and to reduce viole""" \G, by and among youth'. Additionally. specific process steps have bee" identified that will be followed in 111. development of 111. recommendations. W1ule the proce!S is tOOng longer than anticipatrd. staff believes th at II1e resuW ng recommendations will be meaningful and effective. Slaffwill rel&ra \G Council prior ,<> the ordinance's sunset date of October 31,1'195, with an evaluation based upon the entire year. F1SCA.I, IMP4CT O!ber 1han associated staffing resources dedicated 10 !lie enforcement of !lie ordinaoce, the gang tasl< force and participation in PAFY, there are no fiscal impacts at this time. ENVD!°NMFNf.u,4SSESSMEl\"I There are no associawd environmenr.al issues. PillEt' or ti • • . . f. I ' PREPARED BY, Kathy McKenna, Captain Lynne Johnson, As~L' oIi<:e DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: _L""",,_ L--='-.:-J...~=-s.~~L-= )Lu-C ; • CITY MANAGER APPROY AL: YI--v--:;; !&~~L-_ V JUNE FLEMlNG Attaclunents: Attachment A VelllUl'a Neighborhood Addison Ncigbborhood Vcntunl Neigbborbood 9193 -4;94 71 ATTACHME1\jT A TOOl! Call$ ror Service o 9194 _ 4t9S 11 Change 29 {63) 552 (21} Calls for Service bet..,... 1J p.lIt. and 6 3.m. II 3 165 109 (34) ; •