East Orange Police Will Enforce Youth Curfew Law This Summer

EAST ORANGE, NJ — Another city in Essex County will be cracking down on its youth curfew law this year: East Orange.

On Monday, city officials announced plans for the “Safe Summer Initiative 2024,” a multi-pronged approach to reducing crime in East Orange. The campaign will include enforcement of the city’s existing curfew for teens and kids.

According to East Orange’s local law, no unaccompanied minors under the age of 17 are allowed to be in a “public place” between the hours of 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

City officials said police will be “aggressively enforcing” the curfew during the campaign, which will run between June 21 and Sept. 2.

East Orange isn’t the only municipality in Essex County with a youth curfew law on the books. Nearby in Newark, city officials announced a curfew crackdown earlier this spring – which operates during the same nighttime hours as East Orange. See Related: Newark Youth Curfew 2.0: City Will Launch New Crackdown

The concept of youth curfews has seen both criticism and support in New Jersey.

Proponents of curfew laws say that the ordinances can help to reduce juvenile violence, gang activity and other types of crime. But others argue that curfew laws can criminalize innocent teens and are ineffective crime-fighting tools that can put a strain on already-tense relationships between police and youth.

“The police already have the ability to arrest juveniles when they break the law, the curfew would have added nothing except giving police the right to arrest the innocent as well,” an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey said after West Orange tried to roll out a local youth curfew in 2001.

East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi acknowledged that a juvenile curfew is not a “one-size-fits-all solution.” Bindi said police will be “sensitive and compassionate to circumstances that require an adaptable approach” during this summer’s crackdown.

But the positives of a youth curfew outweigh the negatives, the chief added.

“This curfew will help us to promote public safety, prevent minors from engaging in unlawful behavior and protect them from harm,” Bindi said.

FIGHTING CRIME, COMMUNITY OUTREACH

There’s more to this summer’s initiative than a curfew, East Orange officials say.

The campaign will be a joint effort between the city’s police, fire and OEM departments, its Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs and other agencies, as needed.

Police will be making more patrols, doing business inspections, running road safety checkpoints and running other “crime prevention operations.”

Public Safety Director Maurice Boyd said police will be targeting “hotspot locations” to address emerging crime trends, and patrol officers will be cracking down on speeding, jaywalking and parking offenses throughout the summer.

It’s not enough to tell kids what not to do, however – it’s also important to give them safe and fun activities to fill their summers, officials add.

Recreation & Cultural Affairs Director Jamal Pearson said that “community engagement” will be a key part of this summer’s campaign. Some activities being planned include:

• Pop-Up Block Parties
• Adopt-a-Park Events
• Basketball Games
• Fitness Classes dubbed “Cardio with Cops”
• Boys and Girls Mentoring Programs
• Police Explorers Program
• Safe Haven P.A.L. Program

In addition to a variety of summer camps and sports clinics, Pearson said there will be special events happening every week July through August, including main annual events such as the weekly “Soul in the City” music series, the Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, Jazz at the Plaza, the Mayor’s Annual Cookout, East Orange MACFest, National Night Out and the Summer Jam House Music Festival.

Meanwhile, local firefighters will distribute free smoke detectors and hearing-impaired sound alarms to those who need them – another program the city has been running. See Related: New Jersey Makes Progress On Disability Access (8 Encouraging Stories)

“Through our safe summer initiative, we are deploying our resources strategically to mitigate any typical increase that more outdoor activity and longer summer days might bring,” Mayor Ted Green said.

“Summer is a great time for our residents and families to bond and create lasting memories, and we’ve got plenty of activities planned to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer,” Green said.

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