Buena Park Gives Youth Curfew 1st OK

A daytime curfew narrowly survived passionate opposition Monday night, when the City Council tentatively approved the ordinance, 3-2.

The issue has divided council members since it was proposed in August by Police Chief Richard M. Tefank as part of a countywide effort by a coalition of prosecutors and police to toughen truancy laws.

A coalition of residents, civil libertarians and home-schoolers from across the county has opposed the measure in each city that has considered it.

They showed in force at Monday’s meeting, with more than 100 crowded into the council chambers and speaking for two hours against the action.

“I can say as a citizen of Buena Park I don’t feel any safer with this in place,” said Chris Quintana. “This is a presumed guilt instead of presumed innocence, which flies in the face of the Constitution.”

But police arguments that the curfew would be crime-fighting tool won over a majority of the council.

“My feeling is there has been too much made of what this ordinance does,” said Councilman Don R. Griffin. “There are problems on the street, and the police need to deal with them, in my opinion. This gives them the means to deal with it more efficiently and effectively.”

Under the ordinance, which still faces a second and final vote, parents and children run the risk of fines and community service.

A minor between the ages of 6 and 18 may not be in a public place between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on school days without a valid excuse such as a doctor’s appointment, the ordinance says.

The student can be issued a citation similar to a traffic ticket and fined up to $100 for a first offense. Those fines increase up to $250 for a third offense, but a judge can accept 20 hours of community service instead.