Bellevue is considering raising the penalty for curfew violations for minors.
The city held a first reading of the ordinance amendment at its July 12 council meeting. The amendment reads that for a first violation by a minor, the parent or guardian will be fined $25. The parent or guardian will be fined $100 for each subsequent offense.
The city ordinance currently reads that parents are fined $50 for a second offense, $75 for a third offense, $100 for a fourth offense–and any incidents after the fourth offense.
Bellevue Police Chief Jon McClain said the curfew ordinance incentivizes parents to keep their kids in after hours.
The changes were not started due to anything directly related to the city, McClain said. He said the county attorney emailed all Campbell County police chiefs because some departments cited juveniles who violated curfew as a prepayable offense, which he said is not.
He said that in the email from the county attorney, the preferred way of handling curfew violations is for the parents to be cited, which he said is how their ordinance is written.
“I brought it up at one of our Thursday staff meetings, and through talking to Dave (Fessler) about it, we’re both in agreement that when looking at the fine that would be imposed on the parent, it was lower than what a modern-day fine should be,” McClain said.
McClain also talked with Campbell County Chief Assistant County Attorney Steve Dasenbrock at a recent Campbell County chief’s meeting and said one thing he wants to change is citing parents through the city ordinance making it a city citation, not a state citation, like with a parking ticket. McClain said that should the juvenile not be a Bellevue resident, it would be a state citation.
“Ultimately, the only time a juvenile would actually be criminally charged with the state citation would be in circumstances where say, the parents have already gone through court proceedings where they’re (child) beyond control, and they have been working with the courts because they physically cannot control their child,” McClain said.
McClain said enforcing the ordinance will use “common sense policing.” There are stipulations in the law that cover juveniles returning from work, a school or religious activity, etc., that would make them exempt from the ordinance.
According to the ordinance for those under 18, the current curfew is Sunday through Thursday from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day. Friday and Saturday the hours are between 12:01 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Alexandria is another Campbell County city that recently held a first reading for an ordinance amendment related to curfews for minors.
“A lot of the crime you’re starting to see in the region, in Northern Kentucky, when you’re looking at car thefts, break-ins and stuff like that, a majority of these crimes are being committed by juveniles,” McClain said. “Whenever you see on the news somebody’s Hyundai was stolen from in front of their house or driveway. Nine out of 10 times, that’s a juvenile.”
