Mayor Calls Plan for Day Curfew ‘Hitlerism’

In a strongly worded speech to the Orange County Chapter of the League of California Cities, Mayor Joseph S. Barsa this week denounced a proposal to impose a daytime curfew on all school-age children in Orange County.

“I, and I know you, normally endorse and support actions and proposals of our law enforcement organizations,” Barsa told other city officials. “But I must tell you, this is where I stop short. This is Hitlerism at its worst.”

At issue is a plan for all cities and the county government to make it illegal for youths 6 to 18 to be on any public property during school hours without a legal excuse.

Barsa told the league the proposal comes from the Orange County Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs Assn. and the Orange County School Superintendents Assn.

Supporters of a daytime curfew say it will cut crime. But Barsa said a state law already empowers school districts to arrest minors absent from school without an excuse.

“Why invoke a curfew when current state law already provides the authority?” Barsa asked. “If current truancy laws are not being invoked, how will a new, Draconian law help?”

Barsa said a daytime curfew might lead to selective enforcement.

“Will police ignore minors at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm so as not to hamper tourism?” he asked. “Will they be more likely to stop Latino, black or Asian youth, rather than Caucasian?”

So far, only La Habra has adopted a daytime curfew. Placentia’s City Council this week tabled the curfew issue until Sept. 3.

Barsa said the Villa Park City Council will consider a resolution later this month opposing the movement for a countywide daytime curfew. “Then I’m going to circulate this resolution to all the other cities,” Barsa said.