Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Local law enforcement officers want local youths to know that they need to be home by 10 p.m. throughout the week and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The curfew is set by city ordinance, Sweet Home Police Sgt. Jason Van Eck said. Linn County has a midnight curfew all week long. Violation of the curfew ordinance is classified as a violation.
Police refer youths to the Linn County Juvenile Department on curfew violations. Police do not directly cite violators. The Juvenile Department takes care of that after the referral.
The curfew ordinance is a little complicated, Van Eck said. It has a number of exceptions.
Children can be out with people over the age of 18 if parents are aware of it, Van Eck said. Other exceptions include “coming home from any type of school function.”
If an officer can show the youth has been messing around, police can charge them for curfew violation. Van Eck said. For example, it’s two hours after the function and the youth is still out.
Other exceptions include going to or from work, Van Eck said, and parents can even send their children to the store and errands.
But if the child has made a couple of laps through town, he or she is probably violating curfew, Van Eck said. “You can’t just say, my 16-year-old can be out on the street.”
The curfew applies equally to pedestrians or drivers, Van Eck said.
Young drivers are also subject to several restrictions.
For the first six months after receiving their licenses, youths may not drive with a passenger under age 20 who is not a member of the driver’s immediate family.
For the second six months, they cannot drive with more than three passengers under age 20 who are not members of the driver’s family.
For the first year, youths may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. except driving between work and home, driving between home and a school function where no other transportation is available, for work or accompanied by a licensed driver at least 25 years old.
The restrictions only apply to drivers until age 18 or for the first year of their license, whichever comes first.
The restrictions have been in effect since March 1, 2000, Van Eck said.