The Borough Council of the Borough of Morrisville finds that enactment
of this chapter is necessary to secure the public safety in that:
A. A serious situation has been created by a substantial
increase in the number and in the seriousness of acts committed by minors
against persons and property within the Borough and this has created a menace
to the preservation of public peace, safety, health and welfare.
B. The increase in juvenile delinquency has been caused
in part by minors who are permitted to remain in public places and in certain
establishments during the night hours without adult supervision.
C. The problem of juvenile delinquency can be reduced by
regulating the hours during which minors may remain in public places and in
certain establishments without adult supervision and by imposing certain duties
and responsibilities upon the parents or other adult persons who have care
and custody of minors.
The following definitions apply to this chapter:
BOROUGH
The Borough of Morrisville.
CUSTODIAN
Any adult person, 21 years of age or older, responsible for the care
and custody of a minor.
ESTABLISHMENT
Any privately owned place of business carried on for a profit or
any place of amusement or entertainment to which the public is invited.
GUARDIAN
Any person other than a parent, who has legal guardianship of a minor.
MINOR
Any person under the age of 18 years.
PARENT
The natural or adoptive parent of a minor.
PRIVATE PROPERTY
Any privately owned property on which a person enters without the
consent of the owner, tenant, occupier or custodian.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any public street, highway, road, park, playground, public building,
vacant lot or parking areas open to the general public.
Subject to the exceptions set forth in §
169-3B, it shall be unlawful for any parent, custodian or guardian of a person under 18 years of age to allow or permit such minor person to be in or remain upon any public place or any establishment or private property, as above defined, after the hours mentioned in §
169-3A.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction
in a summary proceeding before any District Justice of Bucks County, be sentenced
to pay a fine not exceeding $300 and costs of prosecution and, in default
of payment thereof, shall be subject to imprisonment for a term not to exceed
30 days.