May 29, 2019 | From City of New Orleans
MAYOR CANTRELL ANNOUNCES JUVENILE JUSTICE INITIATIVES
NEW ORLEANS – Mayor LaToya Cantrell today announced plans to curb juvenile crime and offer effective solutions to ensure that young people are safe in our city while promoting public safety.
“School is out for the summer, and we want to take proactive measures when it comes to the youth in our city. We know that there has been an uptick in crime, especially when it comes to vehicular burglaries and other forms of theft. To address these issues, we plan to focus on prevention, intervention and post-adjudication strategies in coordination with a broad network of partners,” Mayor Cantrell said.
This coordinated effort will include partners across the Cantrell administration, along with representatives from law enforcement, judicial representatives, public defenders, workforce development partners, and various community organizations such as the Covenant House and the Youth Opportunity Center.
Part of this work includes the New Orleans Police Department’s renewed enforcement of the curfew ordinance for teens ages 16 and under starting Monday, June 3. The curfew hours will kick in at 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursday, 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (8 p.m. in the French Quarter). Any juvenile under the age of 10 found out after curfew hours will be placed in protective custody for their own safety. If the juvenile is in the custody of their parents or legal guardian the curfew does not apply. However, they must remain in their custody at all times.
However, they must remain in their custody at all times. NOPD will make a first attempt to contact a parent/guardian; if NOPD is unable to connect with parent/guardian, youth will be transported to the Covenant House. Youth will be referred to the Youth Opportunity Center who will provide case management services.
Penalties will apply to parents or legal guardians after a juvenile is picked up for curfew violations three times in a calendar year. In that case, a summons to juvenile court will be issued.
“As I’ve said before, this is not something the NOPD, or City of New Orleans can do alone — we must all work together to make New Orleans a stronger and safer city,” Supt. Shaun Ferguson said. “The Curfew Ordinance is only one piece of our overall strategy to keep our kids out of trouble and out of harm's way.”
The administration is also excited to announce the Summer Success job program through the Office of Youth and Families and JOB1. The program will offer 100 youth who have been involved in the juvenile justice system with a paid summer job opportunity for 5 weeks this summer. Youth will also receive case management services, counseling, and bus passes to ensure transportation is not a barrier.
The City also encourages youth and their families to access the program opportunities offered by the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) and New Orleans Public Libraries. This summer, NORD offers healthy activities, jobs and special event programming, including 15 Teen Career Camps (for ages 13-15) that will serve more than 1,000 teens across the city for six weeks. Teens will have the opportunity to earn stipends of $75 per week. Camps begin June 3. NORD also plans to hire more than 150 lifeguards for the summer pool season, which also begins on June 3.
The New Orleans Public Library’s Summer Fun program will focus heavily on promoting literacy. The area’s 15 libraries will offer games, activities, prizes and a range of other activities. Children and teens can earn additional prizes and raffle tickets each time they read or are read to for 200 minutes, up to 1,000 minutes. Special teen events include:
- Nintendo Switch Gaming Sessions
- Teen Astronaut Training
- Simple Coding with Ozobots Coding Robots
- Crafting with Heat-Fused Perler Beads
- Acting Classes
- Comic Book Club
"It is so important that we continue to invest in positive recreational and educational supports over the summer and year round for all children. Our juvenile justice system lacks alternatives to detention options that will connect youth to the skills and interventions to be rehabilitated outside of secure confinement," said Office of Youth and Families Director Emily Wolff. "Our office is committed to continuing to invest in innovation and intervention for youth who truly do not pose a threat to public safety, as an alternative to incarceration."
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