Gloucester County community put on notice: Know where your kids are
The Town of Monroe has updated an ordinance to increase the role of parents and guardians “in ensuring the safety of our youth.”
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Police in a Gloucester County community are putting parents on notice that they need to know where their kids are at all times — or face fines.
The Town of Monroe has updated an ordinance to increase the role of parents and guardians “in ensuring the safety of our youth.”
The standard curfew in town for those under age 18 is from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. On Oct. 30 and 31 (Mischief Night and Halloween), curfew begins early at 8 p.m.
The new rules state that it is now “prohibited for any parent or legal guardian to allow a minor to violate curfew or other prohibited acts through a failure to exercise proper supervision and control.”
Officials say that “supervision” means more than being at home, adding, “Parents are expected to have knowledge of a minor’s whereabouts, associations and activities.”
Any minor caught outside past the town’s curfew is “considered prima facie evidence that the parent or guardian has violated the ordinance.”
“Failure to know where a minor is or who they are with during these hours also constitutes evidence of a violation,” officials wrote.
Parents may be summoned to court and ordered to provide better supervision for a first offense.
Officials say further violations could lead to fines up to $2,000, 90 days in jail or community service, which the court may require to be performed jointly by the parent and the minor.
