WALNUT PARK : Juveniles Face Curfew Sweeps

Law enforcement officials in Walnut Park expect to launch a curfew crackdown by early May, following the example set in a number of cities that are reviving curfews to combat street crime, officials said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is scheduled to begin curfew sweeps in Walnut Park as a trial program that will eventually target the county areas of Willowbrook, Florence, Firestone, Athens Park, East Rancho Dominguez and Lynwood, said Sheriff’s Lt. Art Burgess.

Floyd Dominguez, president of the Walnut Park Community Assn., said residents requested the program about two months ago.

“There are too many youngsters hanging around at night and God only knows what they are doing,” Dominguez said. “This curfew, I think it will work.”

Under the program, officials will enforce existing laws and cite any juvenile under 18 who is found on the street after 10 p.m. Youths returning home from work or school events are exempt.

The citations require the youths to appear with their parents before a traffic court judge. Penalties can include fines ranging from $200 to $700 and community service, said Robert Alaniz, spokesman for County Supervisor Gloria Molina.

Violating curfew is a misdemeanor, but officials hope the new enforcement program will prevent juveniles from becoming perpetrators or victims of serious crimes.

“Minor violations like this are often taken out of the system,” Burgess said. “(Juveniles who break curfew) are usually taken and released and never see the formal part of the system that shows you that if you continue to get in trouble, other things can happen to you.”