ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO REPEALING AND REENACTING CHAPTER 9.24 [MINORS IN STREETS AND PUBLIC PLACES] OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO JUNVENILE CURFEW REGULATIONS
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows:
Section 1. Legislative Findings and Declarations. The City Council hereby finds and determines that the adoption of this ordinance is necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare. The City Council hereby adops the following finds and declarations in support of this ordinance:
A. Palo Alto is widely regarded as a safe community with quiet neighborhoods, execellent parks, libraries recreation programs, schools and educational and other opportunities for children and families;
B. The above-described characteristics are essential elements of the factors making up Palo Alto's sense of collective safety, self-esteem and well-being.
C. There has been an increase in juvenile violence juvenile gang activity and juvenile crime in the City of Palo Alto, each of which threaten Palo Alto's above-described sense of community;
D. Juveniles, i.e., persons under the age of eighteen, as a consequence of their lack of maturity and experience [add] relative to adults, and their [add] limited ability [strike "inability"] to make critital decisions in a fully informed and mature manner, are particularly vulnerable to participation in unlawful and gang-related activities, and to victimization by adult criminals.
E. The City of Palo Alto has a compelling muncipal interest in protecting juveniles from crime, protecting the public from juvenile crime, assuring the exercise of parental control over and responsibility for children, and in reducing the opportunities for juvenile crime.
Section 2. Palo Alto Muncipal Code Chapter 9.24 is hereby repealed in its entirety.
Section 3. Palo Alto Muncipal Code Chapter 9.24 is hereby reenacted to read as follows:
Chapter 9.24
JUVENILE CURFEW REGULATIONS
Section 4. This ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act because it can be seen with certainty that it has no possibility of causing a significant environmental effect.
Section 5. This ordinance shall be effective on the commencement of the thirty-first day after the date of its adoption.
Transcribed by PGC in conjunction with Meeting Page for MPAC curfew forum.