MESA, Ariz. — Long summer days are looking a little shorter for teenagers in Mesa as the city police crack down on curfew enforcement.
It's part of Mesa Police Department's Operation Safe Summer. Detective Brandi Myers with MPD said the goal is to prevent teens from getting involved in potentially violent situations.
“We believe by enforcing these curfew laws that we will bring a reduction in violent crime towards teenagers," Detective Myers said.
After several incidents of teen violence, including the murder of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek, Easy Valley cities have been vying for new solutions to the problem.
Mesa police have already issued 39 violations for minors this year. In 2023, they only issued 28 citations. Eighteen teens were cited in May alone, 10 more following in June.
"There's not generally one location where we're seeing a gathering of teenagers," Myers said. "We're finding them throughout the city."
For teens 15 and younger, The City of Mesa sets curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
For teens who are 16 and 17 year old, curfew goes from midnight to 5:00 a.m.
The ordinance doesn't just site teens, but theoretically their parents as well.
"If parents know that their teenagers are out of the house violating a curfew law, they are responsible for that, and they ultimately can get charged with that city code violation as well," Myers said.
However, Mesa police haven't cited any parents so far this year.
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