The Mayor and Council find that:
A. An emergency has been created by a substantial increase
in the number and in the seriousness of crimes committed by minors against
persons and property within the town, and this has created a menace to the
preservation of public peace, safety, health, morals and welfare.
B. The increase in juvenile delinquency has been caused
in part by the large number of minors who are permitted to remain in public
places and in certain establishments during evening hours without adult supervision.
C. Late evening activity by certain of our youth prevents
them from concentrating on school homework, in class, or causes their absence
from class. The rate of absenteeism from school has risen alarmingly in recent
years while the achievement rate has rapidly decreased, resulting in an increase
in failures and dropouts.
D. 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.
In this chapter the following definitions apply:
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.
MINOR
Any person under the age of 18 years.
OPERATOR
Any individual, firm, association, partnership or corporation, operating,
managing or conducting any establishment; and whenever used in any clause
prescribing a penalty, the term "operator" as applied to associations or partnerships
shall include the members or partners thereof, and as applied to corporations,
shall include the officers thereof.
PARENT
Any natural parent of a minor, a guardian or any person 21 years
of age or over, responsible for the care and custody of a minor.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any public street, highway, road, alley, park, playground, wharf,
dock public building or vacant lot.
REMAIN
To loiter, lounge, idle, wander, stroll or play in or upon.
No parent shall knowingly permit any minor not exempted under §
52-3 to remain in or upon any public place or any establishment between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
No operator of any establishment, or his agents or employees, shall
knowingly permit any minor to remain upon the premises of said establishment
between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.