Last night officers from the OC Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (GRIP) swept locations in Mission Viejo enforcing the the city’s juvenile curfew law. The law prohibits minors from being in public without an adult between 10 pm and 5 am. The goal of the sweep was to prevent juveniles from being victims of, or participants in, gang crimes.
The sweep included the Kaleidoscope Center, other commercial centers, parks and known areas of higher gang and/or criminal activity. Only one violator was detained in Mission Viejo, at a park, according to Lt Mike Gavin, Chief of Police Services for the City.
The enforcement action was conducted by 300 officers countywide. A total of 66 juveniles were found violating curfew among 19 other cities. Minors found in violation were taken in the back of police cars to one of three Sheriff facilities and held until parents arrived to pick them up. Before releasing the juvenile to their parent, the juvenile and parent had to meet with representatives from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to discuss the dangers and legal consequences for both the parent and child for violating curfew laws. They also met with Orange County Probation Department officers for references to resources such as parenting classes, substance abuse treatment and family therapy.
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Yeah, I don’t think they are gonna bag too many kids out past curfew on a Thursday night. Why don’t they try and do this on the weekends, when the kids aren’t in school? They might catch a few more.
They probably did this on Thursday because the kids who are out late on Thursdays are probably out late every night (the habitual offenders).
GRIP, good for you for doing something, and through time I hope that this program/project will be able to solve more gang issues and more ways and ideas to protect our youth from any bad influence that could lead them to gang involvement or gang violence. Knowing that GRIP is out there doing their best to protect our precious children is priceless. It gives me some peace of mind that when our children are out of the house they are going to be safe around our community. Thank you GRIP for continuing in trying to protect our youth from any encounters that could take them to no where.