Attention parents and teens of Newark: A new curfew is coming.
Kids under the age of 18 will be under a nightly curfew from 11 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. the next morning.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé say the Juvenile Safety Initiative is meant to keep children safe while lowering juvenile crime.
“The overnight hours are particularly hazardous for children because fewer adult family members and neighbors are outdoors late at night to monitor their safety,” Fragé said in a statement.
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The curfew was initially supposed to begin the evening of April 12, but the mayor's office said hours before it was set to start that the rollout would be postponed. It wasn't immediately clear when the new launch date would be, but the mayor's office said it may start within a week, once other details get confirmed.
Kids and teens 17 and under must be within 100 yards of their home between those curfew hours every night, according to the ordinance.
Anyone in violation of the curfew will be escorted home and receive a verbal warning. A second infraction within six months will result in the offender being taken down to the Newark Police Youth Strategies Section at 43 Dickerson Street where they will have to wait until a guardian or parents picks them up.
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Repeat offenders could be referred to the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Office of Child Protection and Permanency. No children will be arrested as a result of violating the curfew.
“We want the children of our city to enjoy the outdoors safely by limiting the opportunity for them to find themselves in harm’s way,” Baraka said. “The safest place for children at night is under the mindful supervision of their parents or another trusted adult, not on the streets.
