OXNARD : Curfew Sweep Leads to Arrests of 17 Youths

Seventeen youths were arrested by Oxnard police officers for violating a new citywide curfew meant to keep juveniles off the street after 10 p.m.

Sgt. Charles Hookstra, who was in charge of the curfew task force Friday night, said officers confiscated a loaded 9-millimeter handgun, a starter pistol and a small quantity of marijuana during a three-hour sweep. They also found spray paint and indelible markers often used for graffiti on seven of the juveniles.

“It was a success,” Hookstra said. “If we had just gotten the 9-millimeter I would have seen the sweep as a success. I don’t think they were out target practicing. Maybe we gave someone out there a reprieve by getting that gun off the street.”

The department put an additional 14 officers and seven squad cars on duty during the beefed-up patrol Friday night during the 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew.

Hookstra said the beginning of the curfew ordinance coincided with the start of spring break for many school-age youths in Oxnard. He said the Police Department will make random curfew patrols a regular part of its schedule.

“We’re getting positive reaction,” he said. “Even the parents that had to come in at 2 a.m. to pick up their kid who’d been arrested were thankful. They were mad at their kids, but they know if there wasn’t an arrest, they may have never known what was going on.”