Attention parents and teenagers of Newark: That new curfew we've been talking about? It starts tonight.
The curfew initially was supposed to take effect three weeks ago, but the mayor's office abruptly postponed the launch for unknown reasons. The program taking effect Friday is a sort of soft launch.
The nightly curfew for kids under 18 -- 11 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. the next morning -- will only apply Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, to start, officials said.
Come June 21, once school is out for the summer, the curfew will be in effect seven days a week. Kids have to be within 100 yards of their homes through those six-and-a-half hours.
Newark police who see kids unaccompanied by an adult on the streets in that time period will "peacefully engage the youth," get personal information to include in a report and call the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR) team. The officer will wait with the child until an outreach worker arrives.
If a parent or guardian isn't home or can't be reached by phone, OVPTR staff will bring the child to a re-engagement center and conduct an intake process while continuing to try to reach the parent or guardian.
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If no one can be reached, the juvenile will be taken to a hospital to be medically cleared. The New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency gets called if no parent or guardian is reached after four hours in the hospital.
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Families will get a follow-up phone call or home visit from OVPTR social and outreach workers within 48 hours after the initial contact with the child regarding eligibility for additional resources.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé say the Juvenile Safety Initiative is meant to keep children safe while lowering youth crime.
“We’re beginning this summer with the end in mind,” Baraka said in a recent statement. "Our primary objective is to ensure that all Newark residents, including our youth, enjoy a safe and fun-filled summer."
