The Municipal Council deems it necessary and proper in the interests of good government, the protection of persons and property, and the maintenance of order, that the use of the public streets, parks and other public places by minors under the age of 18 years be regulated.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Atlantic Highlands 10-5-1994 by Ord. No. 64-94. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
It shall be unlawful for any minor under the age of 18 years to be upon any public or quasi-public place or upon any public street either on foot or in an automobile or any other vehicle, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and before 6:00 a.m. on any weekday (Sunday through Thursday) and between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on any weekend (Friday and Saturday) during the entire calendar year, unless accompanied by the juvenile's parent or guardian or unless engaged in, or travelling to or from, a business or occupation which the laws of this state authorize a juvenile to perform.
It shall be unlawful for any parent, guardian or other person having control or custody of such minor under the age of 18 years to allow or permit such minor to be in any public street or public or quasi-public place, including public streets, after the hour of 10:00 p.m. and before 6:00 a.m. on any weekday (Sunday through Thursday) and between the hour of 11:00 p.m. and before 6:00 a.m. on any weekend (Friday and Saturday) during the entire calendar year, except in the manner and for the purposes specified in this chapter.
Any police officer is hereby authorized and empowered to take into custody any minor who may be in the act of violating the provisions of this chapter and shall notify the parent or person having the legal custody and control of the minor of the violation.
Violators shall be required to perform community service and may be subject to a fine of up to $1,000. If both the juvenile and the juvenile's parent or guardian are found in violation of this chapter, they shall be required to perform community service together.
[Amended 10-10-2024 by Ord. No. 19-2024]
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply in the following situations:
A.
The juvenile is accompanied by a parent, guardian, and/or caretaker; or
B.
The juvenile is engaged in an employment activity or traveling to or from an employment activity, without detour or stop, which the laws of the State of New Jersey authorize a juvenile to perform; or
C.
The juvenile is engaged in an errand or errands involving a medical emergency or emergencies; or
D.
The juvenile is attending an extracurricular school activity and/or traveling to or from such extracurricular school activity, without detour or stop; or
E.
The juvenile is attending an activity sponsored by a religious or community-based organization of a cultural, educational, or social nature if said activity is supervised by at least two or more adults. This shall also involve the juvenile's travel to or from the activity, as defined herein, without detour or stop; or
F.
The juvenile is on the sidewalk of his or her residence or on the sidewalk of a next-door neighbor, so long as the neighbor does not object to the minor's presence on the sidewalk.
This chapter shall be enforced fairly and nondiscriminantly against all juveniles within the Borough of Atlantic Highlands found to be in public or quasi-public areas during the curfew hours and not falling within any exception outlined in this chapter.
[Added 10-10-2024 by Ord. No. 19-2024]
If, for any reason, any section of this chapter shall be deemed invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining sections and/or any and all other unaffected language of this chapter shall remain in full force and effect.