Lafayette Police Looking To Crack Down On Juvenile Curfew Violations

The Lafayette Police Department hosted a meeting on yesterday with members of our Community Relations Committee, juvenile organizations and members of the 15^th Judicial Court system to focus on the recent increase of juvenile curfew violations.

As the school year has ended and summer is well on its way, the Lafayette Police Department will be focusing on juvenile curfew violations due to an increase in violent crimes, car burglaries and trespassing when curfew hours are in effect.

Any person under 17 years of age who has not been emancipated under Louisiana law are not allowed to be in public areas between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am Sunday through Thursday and are not allowed to be out on Fridays and Saturdays between the hours of 12 am and 6 am. Minors who are working, driving to or from work, performing a reasonable activity or who are with an adult guardian or parent can be out past curfew.

A curfew operation has been put in place across the city limits where officers will be focusing on locating and identifying those minors found to be out in public areas past curfew. Violators will be apprehended and parents will be issued a written notice of the violation upon the juvenile being returned. A request for prosecution will be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for review for repeat juvenile offenders.

The Lafayette Police Department will have a zero tolerance for violation of curfew. We asked that parents and guardians of minors please be mindful of their whereabouts at all times and notify police if the minor is not at your residence when curfew hours are in effect to avoid costly fines and/or jail time.