EAST LOS ANGELES : Curfew Enforcement Linked to Drop in Crime, Loitering

A pilot program of ticketing youthful curfew violators in East Los Angeles has led to a drop in crime and loitering.

The 10 p.m.-to-dawn curfew for juveniles, on the books for years, has rarely been enforced because of the costly and time-consuming arrest process.

But county officials said this week that a pilot program started in January has produced good results by ticketing youthful offenders. Sheriff’s deputies have written 246 tickets during the program in a seven-square-mile area.

The curfew tickets carry a $675 fine, but the youths and their parents can instead choose to attend a month of parenting classes.

“We’ve seen a slight decrease (in crime),” sheriff’s Lt. Robert Hoffman said. “The numbers of citations have dropped down, and officers say it’s hard to find kids hanging out on street corners anymore. The kids know better now.”