Warren County town to have ‘zero tolerance’ policy on enforcing curfew for kids under 18
PHILLIPSBURG, NJ (Warren County) – The Philipsburg Police Department to take a “zero tolerance approach” on enforcing the town’s curfew for kids under 18.
Due to recent Law Enforcement incidents involving children under the age of 18, the Phillipsburg Police Department will be taking a zero tolerance approach to curfew, police said.
“No child under the age of 18 years shall be upon any of the public streets, highways, alleys, parks or other public places of the Town, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., either on foot or in or upon any type of conveyance, unless such child is accompanied bJ1 his or her parent, guardian or other person having legal care or custodJ1 of such child or is accompanied bJ1 a responsible person of good repute over 18 years of age. School, civic, church, emploJ1ment, legitimate social functions supervised by adults or errands involving medical emergencies shall be exempted from this section,” according to Chapter 242-1 of the Phillipsburg Town Code.
“No parent, guardian or other person having the legal care or custody of a child under the age of 18 years shall allow or permit any such child to go or be in or upon any of the public streets, highways, alleJ1s, parks or other public places of the Town of Phillipsburg between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., except as specified in 242-1 of this chapter or unless reasonable necessity can be shown therefore,” according to Chapter 242-2 of the Phillipsburg Town Code.
Violations upon conviction can result in community service and may in addition be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000. The continuation of such violation for each successive day shall constitute a separate offense, and the person or persons allowing or permitting the continuation of the violation may be punished as provided above for each separate offense. If both a person under 18 years of age and his or her parent or guardian violates this chapter, they shall be required to perform community service together.
“I applaud Phillipsburg PD. and can say it is about time for parents to start taking responsibility for their children,” a person said on the Phillipsburg Police Department’s Facebook page.
“Hopefully the surrounding municipalities adopt the same enforcement. Otherwise they will end up with all the riff raff,” another person said on the police department’s Facebook page.
