Mayor Baraka and Public Safety Director Fragé Announce Juvenile Safety Initiative
Curfew to be Enforced for Children under 18 years of age Between 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.

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Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé announce that beginning Friday, April 12, 2024, Newark Police will launch its Juvenile Safety Initiative.

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The initiative has been established to safeguard juveniles by ensuring that they remain under the supervision of a parent or guardian at night. While parents have the primary responsibility to provide for the safety and welfare of their children, the Newark Police Division is committed to preserving the safety of children and preventing juvenile crime and victimization.

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Parents are advised that police will enforce the Curfew Ordinance on behalf of unaccompanied minors, ages 17 and below, who are more than 100 yards from their residence between 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. the following day starting on Friday, April 12, 2024.

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“We want the children of our city to enjoy the outdoors safely by limiting the opportunity for them to find themselves in harm’s way,” Mayor Baraka said. “The safest place for children at night is under the mindful supervision of their parents or another trusted adult, not on the streets. This initiative is aimed at ensuring Newark children are kept safe.”

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“The overnight hours are particularly hazardous for children because fewer adult family members and neighbors are outdoors late at night to monitor their safety,” Director Fragé said. “While we are implementing increased police presence in all our neighborhoods, we respectfully request that parents and guardians abide by the juvenile curfew ordinance to add an extra layer of safety for their children. We plan to reduce the chances that children become victims of crime or unwittingly become engaged in criminal activity.”
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CURFEW ORDINANCE
Newark City Ordinance, 20:2-4.1 states: It shall be unlawful for any minor under the age of eighteen (18) to loiter, idle, wander, stroll or play in, or remain in or be upon the public streets, highways, roads, public places and public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, public transportation facility, public vehicles used for transportation, vacant lots or other public places within the confines of the City or to be more than one hundred (100) yards from his or her place of residence between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. of the following day.

The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any minor accompanied by his or her parent, guardian, or other adult person having care or custody of the minor, or where the minor is upon an emergency errand directed by his or her parent or guardian, or other adult person having care or custody of the minor. An emergency errand shall be an errand required to preserve the life of a person.

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The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any juvenile engaged in or traveling to or from a business or occupation which the laws of this State authorize a juvenile to perform or to a juvenile who is attending extracurricular school activities, activities sponsored by religious or community-based organizations and other cultural educational and social events that may occur after 11 p.m. and before 5:30 a.m.
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PENALTY
Any minor under eighteen (18) years of age found in violation of this ordinance by a Police Officer shall be given a verbal warning and will be escorted to his or her residence and released to the care of his or her parent or guardian. A second infraction within a six (6) month period will result in the juvenile being transported to the Newark Police Youth Strategies Section at 43 Dickerson Street to be picked up by a parent or guardian. The juvenile will also be referred to the on-call staff member of the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery to assess his or her needs for services and/or resources. While no juvenile will be arrested for a curfew violation, the juvenile’s parent(s) or guardian(s) will be referred to the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Office of Child Protection and Permanency as a result of repeated violations. Director Fragé urges parents to abide by this ordinance and asks that anyone with information about any criminal activity call the Department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477). All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward. Anonymous tips may also be made using the Police Division’s website at: https://npd.newarkpublicsafety.orgNewark Police Division.

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