How will minor curfew enforcement work in Manatee County? What officials say
As the proposal to implement a juvenile curfew in Manatee County moves along, officials are still working through enforcement details.
On Aug. 5, Manatee County commissioners voted 6-1, approving staff and the County Attorney’s Office to create a draft ordinance for a juvenile curfew. The curfew would prohibit minors under the age of 17 from being unsupervised in public places and establishments.
Minors caught in violations of the curfew are subject to fines of up to $100, according to a rough draft of the ordinance. But who will enforce the new rule? And how will it impact parents and children in Manatee County?
“Law enforcement officers may stop and question minors suspected of violating this ordinance and may transport them to a designated curfew center or the minor’s home,” the draft states.
That means deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office would be responsible for checking on children out late in public without a parent or guardian to enforce the new policy. Randy Warren, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said the agency will work closely with the County Attorney’s Office to create the curfew language.
In a statement provided to the Bradenton Herald, Sheriff Rick Wells said he supported the board’s idea to move forward with a juvenile curfew.
“We look forward to working with the Board of County Commissioners and the school district to implement a curfew that educates and helps keep our children safe,” Wells said.
‘Compliance through education’ with Manatee curfew
If adopted, minors under the age of 17 would not be allowed in public places or establishments between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Sundays through Thursdays, and from midnight to 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Establishments include private businesses like restaurants or movie theaters.
Though Warren said it’s still too early to know definitive details of how the curfew would be enforced, he added that education is always a top priority for the MCSO. Deputies aim to give people an opportunity to explain themselves and learn from mistakes, Warren added.
“We like to educate people, and we get compliance through education a lot,” Warren said.
Potential penalties for violating curfew
When commissioners approved the direction on Aug. 5, the ones in favor said the curfew would draw language from the state’s existing statute on juvenile curfews.
Florida State Statute 877.22 states a minor in violation of the curfew would be taken into custody by local law enforcement. The minor would be held at a police station or religious organization facility while a law enforcement officer attempts to contact the minor’s parents.
If, after two hours, the minor’s parents do not answer, the officer could drive the minor back home.
The state statute says a minor in violation of the curfew would receive a written warning for the first offense and a fine of $50 for every subsequent violation. However, the rough draft ordinance said minors would receive a $50 fine for the second offense and $100 for subsequent offenses.
The City of Bradenton has a similar juvenile curfew ordinance in place, with fines of $50 for every subsequent offense after the first.
Why does Manatee want a curfew?
The memo for the juvenile curfew said the intention was to establish a curfew to deter crime and enhance juvenile safety.
“A juvenile curfew ordinance is needed in Manatee County to help protect young people from becoming victims of crime and from engaging in risky or unlawful behavior during late-night hours,” the memo states. “Law enforcement has observed that a significant portion of juvenile-related incidents — such as vandalism, theft and disorderly conduct — occur late at night when supervision is often lacking.”
Several community members and representatives from the School District of Manatee County attended the Aug. 5 meeting to support the ordinance. Among them was Omar Edwards, the associate director of strategic planning initiatives for the School District of Manatee County.
“This ordinance is an opportunity for us to get the cart before the horse this time and do what’s right. Nothing good happens after midnight,” Edwards said.
Commissioners debated the curfew before voting 6-1 in favor of moving to the next step. Commissioner George Kruse was the dissenting vote.
“I am fundamentally against this,” Kruse said. “It’s not going to do anything.”
He argued the written offense and minor fines would not deter people who intended to commit crimes, and that the curfew would be burdensome on “innocent kids.”
Commissioner Amanda Ballard voiced her support for the curfew and said she heard there was support from local agencies.
“People in my district have probably been most affected by crimes committed by juveniles in those late hours,” Ballard said. “My understanding is that the sheriff’s office wanted to see this come forward, the school district would like to see this come forward.”
The Manatee County Commission is set to vote on final approval of a juvenile curfew at a later date.
