Cities in Salt Lake County have had curfew laws on the books for years.
Their enforcement from place to place and the age and time restrictions have been anything but uniform. And in an area where city boundaries blend into the larger valleywide community, area police chiefs are pushing for uniformity in the curfew laws because minors often travel out of their hometown to shop, eat, go to movies and work.The other impetus for the attention on curfew laws is the troubling increase in nighttime violence involving juveniles, especially those who roam in gangs that are predisposed to finding trouble in public places.
Murray is one of several cities that has already passed its new curfew ordinance. "I think it also gives parents leverage" in controlling their children because parents, too, can get in trouble with the law if they knowingly let their children loiter in public places after curfew, said Police Chief Ken Killian. "It allows the parents to say, `If you're not on your way home from your job, the police are going to pick you up, and the law and I are going to have to deal with your behavior.' "
Midvale, Sandy, West Jordan and South Jordan also have passed new curfew laws. Salt Lake County, which has police jurisdiction scattered throughout the county in unincorporated areas, may pass its ordinance Monday.
There appears to be some confusion among city officials about how widespread the uniform curfew effort is. Several officials in cities that have worked with the ordinance have the understanding that city attorneys in all of the county's municipalities are familiar with the proposed ordinance. But that is not the case.
"We have had no direct involvement in that. We haven't heard too much about it," said Draper City Manager David Campbell. Riverton City Recorder Sandra Lloyd said the idea makes sense but has not been considered by the City Council.
South Salt Lake just received a copy of the new ordinance proposal but hasn't had time to review or discuss it. "We would love to consider it," said City Attorney Clint Balmforth.
The county's two largest cities, Salt Lake and West Valley, have not yet passed a new ordinance.
If and when the laws are uniform countywide, penalties for violating the law are likely to differ.
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When the clock strikes . . .\ The new curfew ordinance that law enforcement officials hope will be adopted countywide sets the following restrictions and conditions on unmarried, unemancipated youths under age 18:
- Youths under 16 must not remain or loiter on any sidewalks, streets, alleys or public places between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- Youths under 18 must not remain or loiter on any sidewalks, streets, alleys or public places between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m.
- Parents, guardians or others having care and custody of any minor will be in violation of the law if they allow that youth to violate the curfew law.
- Business owners and operators will be in violation of the law if they knowingly permit minors to remain on the business premises in violation of the ordinance. This restriction does not apply to minors who are lawfully employed on the premises.
- Exceptions to the curfew law apply to:
- youths accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult, described as someone having "care and custody" of the youth.
- youths engaged in legitimate employment requiring them to be in public or traveling
- youths engaged in an emergency errand directed by a parent or other responsible person
- youths in a motor vehicle engaged in interstate travel
- youths in the immediate vicinity of their home
- Violators are subject to arrest and citation. After that, youths are returned to the custody of their parents or guardian.