STAFF REPORT
City of Lancaster
CC 10
1/14/2025
TN
Date: January 14, 2025
To: Mayor Parris and City Council Members
From: Andrea Alexander, City Clerk
Subject: Ordinance No. 1123 Repealing and Replacing Chapter 9.16 of the Lancaster Municipal Code Relating to Curfew, Truancy, and Loitering by Minors Ordinance No. 1124 Adding Chapter 9.52 to the Lancaster Municipal Code Relating to Civil Penalties for Failure to Supervise or Control Minor Recommendation:
1. Adopt Ordinance No. 1123 Repealing and Replacing Chapter 9.16 of the Lancaster Municipal Code Relating to Curfew, Truancy, and Loitering by Minors
2. Adopt Ordinance No. 1124 Adding Chapter 9.52 to the Lancaster Municipal Code Relating to Civil Penalties for Failure to Supervise or Control Minor G.C. Section 84308: No
Fiscal Impact:
The cost recovery is intended to reimburse the City for its actual costs associated with services related to the detention, processing, transportation, and supervision of minors under the age of 18 detained for violating any public offense.
Background:
In recent months, the City has seen an increase in unsupervised youth congregating in groups of 4-10 at various events, on the BLVD, and at shopping centers throughout the City. These groups are disrupting businesses, entering businesses and participating in retail theft, attacking vendors, fighting, breaking windows, and generally disturbing the peace.
These disturbances have occurred during the day and night on numerous occasions for several months. These disturbances deter the general public from attending events that are intended to bring the community together, drive business away from business districts, and have on several occasions led to violence. These incidents burden the City with significant costs as they often 1 8
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require 4933-4467-3027v2/022283-0548 substantial resources from the Lancaster Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and City staff to protect citizens, property, and bring the incidents to an end.
These ordinances are a necessary step to require every parent or legal guardian of any person under the age of 18 years to exercise reasonable care, supervision, protection and control over their minor child or ward.
At the Lancaster City Council Meeting held on December 10, 2024, the City Council approved the introduction of Ordinance No. 1123 Repealing and Replacing Chapter 9.16 of the Lancaster Municipal Code Relating to Curfew, Truancy, and Loitering by Minors and Ordinance No. 1124 Adding Chapter 9.52 to the Lancaster Municipal Code Relating to Civil Penalties for Failure to Supervise or Control Minor, by the following vote: 4-0-0-1; AYES: Hughes-Leslie, Malhi, Mann, Crist; NOES: None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: Parris.
Attachment:
Ordinance No. 1123
Ordinance No. 1124