City to Tighten Enforcement of Curfew in Anti-Gang Bid : Santa Ana: Youths under 18 caught out after 10 p.m. will have to show up in court with their parents and pay a $50 fine.

Hoping to toughen enforcement of the city’s curfew ordinance, police will soon cite minors who roam city streets unsupervised from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., seven days a week.

Under a preliminary agreement between police and Presiding Juvenile Judge Francisco P. Briseno, those younger than 18 who violate curfew will also have to show up in court with their parents and pay a $50 fine.

Although a curfew ordinance has existed for several years, Police Lt. Robert Helton said, the law has not been prosecuted vigorously because of overcrowding at Juvenile Hall and because other, more serious crimes are usually committed during the same hours and take a higher priority.

But faced with increasing gang and criminal activity, city officials are looking once again to curfew restrictions.

“It can be an effective tool, because there’s a set of consequences that go with” late-night youth behavior, said City Councilman Robert L. Richardson, who has pushed for renewed enforcement of the curfew ordinance.

“I don’t think you are going to find too many people in the community who think a 13-year-old has to be out past 10 o’clock at night,” he said.

The threat of a fine should persuade parents to keep their children home, Councilman John Acosta said.

“When they realize this is going to hit them in the pocketbook,” Acosta said, “they are going to take Junior by the nape of the neck and say, ‘Look, this is going to cost us money, and we are going to have to tighten the reins on staying out after 10 p.m.’ ”

Richardson has also called for a citywide campaign that would be coordinated with the school district to teach parents what the curfew law means and why it is needed.

So far, he said, preliminary responses to the plan at recent community meetings have been positive.

“School officials said that on Thursday night or Friday night they might have to start the football games a little earlier. Good,” Richardson added.

The Police Department’s gang enforcement unit will be the chief enforcers of the curfew, Helton said.

“We are focusing our efforts on people who are involved in gang activity, on people frequently attending loud and boisterous parties and on those who are cruising, and it’s obvious that they are not going to or from a location,” Helton said.

Repeat offenders and those on probation will face stiffer penalties, Helton said, “and we are looking to be able to take some action against the parents.”