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Home My WebLink AboutIR 167 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-167 November 15, 2022 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council R Page 1 of 4 Y SUBJECT: CURFEW ORDINANCE FOR MINORS rFrn Yg7'3 The purpose of this report is to provide information about the review of the City of Fort Worth Curfew Ordinance. The state statute enabling a city to authorize a teen curfew requires a review and council action every third year. Public hearings to review the curfew ordinance are scheduled for December 13, 2022, and January 10, 2023. Failure by the City Council to act shall cause this section to expire on January 14, 2023. Over the past two years there have only been 48 juvenile curfew filings and 120 filings over the past three years. Council Districts 2, 4, and 8 have had the majority of the filings in the city. Overall, the majority of the filings were for 15- and 16-year-old individuals. This ordinance is not used often, but it is a good tool for officers in the field to address juvenile-related issues. The City Council is encouraged to weigh the following information in deciding whether to abolish, continue, or modify the ordinance: • Practicality of enforcing this section and any problems with enforcement • Impact of this section on crime statistics • Usefulness of this section Curfew Ordinance Under the current ordinance, curfew hours are (1) between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and (2) between 12:01 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. A minor is a person under 17 years of age. A curfew violation is committed if a minor remains in any public place or on the premise of any establishment within the city during curfew hours. To enforce the ordinance, an officer asks the apparent offender's age and reason for being in the public place. The officer may only issue a citation if they believe that an offense has occurred. Practicality The Police Department, Marshal Division, and Municipal Prosecutors have not experienced issues with enforcing and prosecuting curfew violations. Cases appear on the juvenile arraignment docket and are typically resolved in Teen Court. The reduction in the total number of filings between 2020 and 2022 shown in the table below aligns with a trend of a decrease in filings, largely attributed to Covid-19 impacts. Crime Impact and Curfew Citation Data The teen curfew is an effective tool to reduce both the victimization of young people and the possible commission of criminal acts by youth. According to a University of California, Berkeley study, The Impact of Juvenile Curfew Laws on Arrests of Youth and Adults (2011) by Patrick Kline, arrest data suggests that curfew ordinances reduce arrests of juveniles by approximately ten percent in the five years following enactment. In the past three years since October 2019, the number of curfew citations decreased by approximately 59.7%. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-167 November 15, 2022 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council R Page 2 of 4 Y SUBJECT: CURFEW ORDINANCE FOR MINORS rFrn Yg7'3 A B C Fiscal Year Total Closed % Plea - % No Plea - % Filings Open Open 2020 72 29 40.3% 4 5.6% 39 54.2% 2021 19 5 26.3% 2 10.5% 12 63.2% 2022 1 29 1 0 1 0.0% 1 0 1 0.0% 1 29 1 1000% Total 120 1 34 1 28.3% 1 6 1 5.0% 1 80 1 66.7% Column A Represents cases in which a case was closed through Teen Court, payment, deferred disposition, or dismissal. Column B Represents cases in which a plea was entered, and final disposition has not occurred yet. Column C Represents cases in which the defendant has not appeared to enter a plea. Curfew Filings by Race and Ethnicity Fiscal Total Asianor % Black % Hispanic % Other % White % Year Filings pacific or Latino 2020 72 1 1.4% 29 40.3% 22 30.6% 4 5.6% 16 22.2% 2021 19 0 0.0% 6 31.6% 7 36.8% 1 5.3% 5 26.3% 2022 29 1 2 6.9% 4 13.8% 11 37.9% 1 3.4% 11 1 37.9% Total 120 1 3 2.5% 39 32.5% 40 33.3% 6 5.0% 32 26.7% Curfew Filings by Age Fiscal Total Year Filings 10 % 11 % 12 % 13 % 14 % 15 % 16 % 17 % 2020 72 0 0.0% 1 1.4% 3 4.2% 8 11.1% 8 11.1% 22 30.6% 28 38.9% 2 2.8% 2021 19 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 1 5.3% 0 0.0% 1 5.3% 7 36.8% 9 47.4% 1 5.3% 2022 29 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 1 3.4% 1 3.4% 6 20.7% 11 37.9% 9 31.0% 1 3.4% Total 120 0 0.0% 1 0.8% 5 4.2% 9 7.5% 15 12.5% 40 33.3% 46 38.3% 4 1 3.3% Of the four curfew filings for 17 years of age, three filings have been dismissed via a prosecutor's recommendation citing the curfew ordinance and age of the person at the time the citation was issued, and one filing is pending and is an open case. Curfew Filings by Council District Fiscal Total 2 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 % 7 % 8 % 9 % Year Filings 2020 72 22 30.5% 11 15.2% 4 5.5% 5 6.9% 7 9.7% 13 18.0% 8 11.1% 2 2.7% 2021 19 5 26.3% 1 5.2% 4 21.0% 1 5.2% 1 5.2% 7 36.8% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 2022 29 8 27.5% 0 0.0% 16 55.1% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 2 6.9% 3 10.3% 0 0.0% Total 120 35 1 29.2% 1 12 1 10.0% 1 24 1 20.1% 1 6 1 5.0% 1 8 1 6.6% 1 22 1 18.3% 11 9.1% 1 2 1 1.6% ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-167 November 15, 2022 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council R Page 3 of 4 Y SUBJECT: CURFEW ORDINANCE FOR MINORS rFrn Yg7'3 Curfew Filings by Patrol Division Fiscal Total Year Filings Central % East % North % 2020 72 3 4.2% 4 5.6% 17 23.6% 2021 19 1 5.3% 3 15.8% 8 42.1% 2022 29 2 6.9% 0 0.0% 20 69.0% Total 120 6 5.0% 7 5.8% 45 37.5% Fiscal Total Northwest % South % West % Year Filings 2020 72 19 26.4% 17 23.6% 12 16.7% 2021 19 3 15.8% 1 5.3% 3 15.8% 2022 29 6 20.7% 1 3.4% 0 0.0% Total 120 28 23.3% 19 15.8% 15 12.5% Although there is no tangible mechanism to measure the absence of crime, it is believed that the number of citations has decreased due to the reduced number of juveniles on the streets between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. 2020-2022 Curfew Citation Data by Council District and Patrol Division Highlights Below are 2020-2022 data highlights of curfew filings of race/ethnicity and population under 18 years old by Council District and Patrol Division. 2020-2022 Percentage of Curfew Filings by Council District CD 9 1.6% iCD 8 9.1 CD 2 CD 8 29.1% 18.3% CD 6 CD 3 6.6% 10.0% CD5 CD4 5.0% 20.0% ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-167 November 15, 2022 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council R Page 4 of 4 Y SUBJECT: CURFEW ORDINANCE FOR MINORS rFrn Yg7'3 2020-2022 Percentage of Curfew Filings by Patrol Division Central 5.0% East 5.8% West 12.5% South 15.8% North 37.5% Northwest 23.3% Usefulness The teen curfew is an effective tool to reduce both the victimization of young people and the possible commission of criminal acts by youth. The juvenile curfew ordinance is not utilized in every possible instance, but when appropriate, it represents a useful option for police officers to help get juveniles off the street where they may either be engaged in criminal activity or are more likely to become a victim of a crime. Recommendation The Police Department recommends continuing the Curfew Ordinance for three years. For more information or questions, please contact Executive Assistant Chief Robert Alldredge at 817-392- 4131. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS