It shall be unlawful for any child under the age of 17 years
to be upon any public street, park, public place or quasi-public place
either on foot or in any vehicle after the hour of 10: 00 p.m., prevailing
time, unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, a member of his or
her immediate family over the age of 18 years or by such other person
as shall have the legal custody and control of such minor child.
It shall be unlawful for any parent, guardian or such other
person having the custody and control of such minor child under the
age of 17 years, to allow, suffer or permit any such minor child to
go or be in or upon any of the streets, parks, public places or quasi-public
places in the Township of Monroe after 10:00 p.m., prevailing time,
except in the manner and for the purposes specified in this chapter.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any minor
child who shall be gainfully employed or who shall be a bona fide
student of a school of instruction, during the time necessarily required
to travel between such minor child's residence and his place
of employment or instruction.
Should any emergency arise necessitating such minor child under
the age of 17 years being dispatched upon an errand requiring his
presence upon a public street after the curfew hour herein established,
he shall have in his possession a note signed by some person in his
immediate household over the age of 18 years, stating the nature of
the errand, the necessity therefor, the place to which said child
is to go, the time when such note was issued and the time required
for such errand.
Any policeman or truant officer is hereby authorized and empowered
to take into custody any such minor child who may be in the act of
violating the provisions of this chapter. Such officer shall forthwith
return the said child to his home and shall notify the parent or person
having the legal care and custody of said child of the violation of
this chapter and the penalty for a second or subsequent violation
and shall report said violation to the Chief of Police of the Township
of Monroe, who shall keep a record thereof. Said child shall be released
immediately in the custody of such parent or person having his legal
care or custody.
[Amended 10-6-1975 by Ord. No. 276]
Upon the second or subsequent violation of the provisions of
this chapter by such minor child under the age of 17 years or by said
parent, guardian or person having the legal custody of said child,
and upon conviction thereof by the Juvenile Court of Middlesex County
in the case of a child under the age of 17 years or by the Municipal
Judge of the Township of Monroe in the case of any other person, said
violator shall be punished by a fine not in excess of $500 or imprisonment
not to exceed 90 days, or both fine and imprisonment.
Wherever the masculine gender is used in this chapter, it shall
apply to both the masculine and feminine.