The purposes of this article are as follows:
A. To protect juveniles and other citizens, residents
and visitors to the Borough of Rockaway from the dangers of criminal
and unlawful activity which may occur in the sidewalks, streets and
other public places of the Borough during the late night and early
morning hours;
B. To decrease the amount of criminal activity engaged
in by juveniles;
C. To promote and enhance parental control over juveniles
and encourage family unity;
D. To recognize the constitutional rights of juveniles
and to establish standards which do not impinge upon those rights,
and in particular to enable juveniles to continue to engage in lawful
activities, while addressing the needs of the community and reduce
or eliminate juvenile crime; and
E. To establish standards and policies to assist the
Rockaway Borough Police in enforcing the measures established herein.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ACTIVITY
An organized pursuit supervised by one or more adults.
ADULT
An individual who is 18 or more years of age.
ADULT EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBER
A grandparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister,
uncle, aunt, or first cousin who is 18 or more years of age and who
is willing and available to care for the juvenile.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
An administrative and functional association, society, group,
or profit or not for profit corporation consisting of individuals
linked by a common policy, social, economic, political or other interest.
ERRAND INVOLVING MEDICAL EMERGENCY
An event in which a juvenile is en route to or from rendering
assistance to or locating or attempting to locate assistance for a
person who has sustained what the juvenile reasonably believes to
be a serious bodily injury or who is otherwise in a physical condition
such that it reasonable appears to the juvenile that immediate action
is required and that there is an urgent need for assistance or relief.
EXTRACURRICULAR SCHOOL ACTIVITY
An activity sponsored by, promoted by, supervised by or conducted
under the auspices of a public or private school and supervised by
one or more adults. Examples of extracurricular activities include,
but are not limited to concerts, plays, art exhibits, dances and proms,
sporting events and practice or rehearsal sessions, class trips, graduation
ceremonies and related activities.
GUARDIAN
A person, other than a parent, to whom legal custody of the
juvenile has been given by court order or who is acting in the place
of the parent and is responsible for the care and welfare of the juvenile.
JUVENILE
An individual who is under the age of 18 years.
PARENT
A person who is the natural or adoptive parent, stepparent
or foster parent of the juvenile.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any place to which the public has access, including but not
limited to a public street, road, thoroughfare, sidewalk, bridge,
alley, plaza, park, recreation or shopping area, public transportation
facility, vehicle used for public transportation, parking lot or any
other public structure or area.
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION
An organization relating to, devoted to or promoting religious
beliefs, activities or observances.
This article shall not apply to any juvenile
who can establish that he or she is on a public street or in a public
place between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. where the juvenile
is:
A. Accompanied by the juvenile's parents or guardian;
B. Engaged in or traveling to or from a business or occupation
which the laws of the State of New Jersey authorize a juvenile to
perform;
C. Engaged in an errand involving a medical emergency;
D. Attending an extracurricular school activity; or
E. Attending some other activity, cultural, educational
or social event which is sponsored by a religious or community-based
organization.
Violators of this article shall be required
to perform community service and may be subject to a fine of up to
$1,000. If both a juvenile and the juvenile's parent or guardian violate
this article, they shall be required to perform community service
together.
This article and the need for it shall be reviewed
periodically to determine the effectiveness and continuing need for
this article. During the course of the review of this article, a report
shall be prepared, which shall include, but not be limited to the
following information.
A. The practicality of enforcing this article and any
enforcement problems identified by the Rockaway Borough Chief of Police;
B. The impact of this article on juvenile crime and juvenile
victimization statistics and on the public perception of juvenile
crime and victimization;
C. The number of juveniles taken into custody for curfew
violations; and
D. The number of official citizen complaints filed regarding
the enforcement of this article.