Kids 16 and under in Manatee County face possible curfew

Only one commissioner was opposed to enforcing a juvenile curfew in Manatee County — Commission Chair George Kruse. 

Kruse cited curfews as an example of government overreach and said parents should be the ones to set and enforce curfews for their children. 

Kruse was outvoted 6-1 during the Aug. 5 commission meeting. The motion directed the county attorney to draft an ordinance that will enforce a curfew for minors. In this case, minors means 16 and under. 

Unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, minors must be involved in a permissible activity to be out between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between midnight and 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Permissible activities include lawful employment, a school, church or civic-sponsored activity. or an emergency involving the protection of a person or property. The sidewalk in front of a minor’s home or an adjacent neighbor’s home is another exception where the curfew does not apply.

Commissioner Bob McCann raised the issue. He said the school district and the sheriff’s office support the ordinance, but personal experience also informed his action. 

“I worked in an emergency room for 37 years,” he said. “I can tell you that I saw more kids at night than I ever did in the daytime, and it was assault — a lot of sexual assault, children being trafficked, child abuse.” 

Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells told the East County Observer that MCSO looks forward to working with commissioners and the school district to implement a curfew that educates and helps keep children safe.

Omar Edwards, associate director of Strategic Planning Initiatives for the School District of Manatee County, called the ordinance a “no brainer.” 

“We want to make sure that our students get a good night’s rest so they can be on track to graduate,” he said. “It will help those families that don’t have control at home.”

Kruse fears the ordinance could lead to profiling because teens can be arbitrarily stopped. He wants his teenage daughter to be able to drive home from seeing a movie without the fear of being pulled over based solely on her age.

On the other hand, Commissioner Amanda Ballard said an ordinance can provide deputies with an opportunity to engage with minors to find out and understand why they’re out late at night. 

“There’s a possibility that they’re out on the street at 2 a.m. because they don’t want to be home with their parents who are high and passed out,” Ballard said. 

When the deputy brings the child home, there’s a second chance to engage with the parents.

Ballard represents District 2, which borders the Lakewood Ranch area. She said the district’s biggest problem is teens breaking into cars at night, but there are also issues with teens stealing cars and firearms. 

Kruse noted that those issues are already illegal. 

While the main support for the ordinance came from outside of Lakewood Ranch, Pastor Jerry Parrish, the director of Community Outreach for the Manatee Police Athletic League, said the Lakewood Ranch area is not immune to issues of teen violence and crime. 

“A boy beat his mother in Lakewood Ranch, and he stole his daddy’s car,” Parrish said. “They live in a 6,000-square-foot house. It doesn’t matter the community.” 

Statewide curfew

Florida Statute 877.22 already established a curfew for minors, which state authorities can choose to enforce. However, local enforcement requires a local ordinance.  

McCann said the local ordinance will be written using the state statute as a guide, including a section that addresses minors who have been suspended or expelled from school. 

The statute states that minors may not be in a public place, public establishment or within 1,000 feet of a school during the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during any school day. 

The statute also establishes the penalties if a minor is found in violation of the curfew. A written warning is issued for the first offense. Any violations thereafter are considered a civil infraction, which come with a $50 fine for each violation. 

“You know who doesn’t care about written warnings,” Kruse said. “People who are out after hours to commit crimes.” 

Reginald McNeal, assistant principal at Bradenton Bay High School and Middle School, argued that written warnings hold parents accountable, too. Change could occur if a parent has to appear in court for repeated violations.

McCann stressed that, if passed, the ordinance will be a “law in progress.” As deputies figure out what works and what doesn’t, adjustments can be made.