It’s a typical Friday night, about 10 p.m., and the FoodMaxx parking lot on Niles Street in Bakersfield is packed with teens.
“Damn! Look at that ride,” one boy says. Just about any Friday night of the year one could go to this location and find the same diverse group of teens. Girls are dressed to impress and strutting their stuff; guys are showing each other up with, who has the better sound system, who has the nicer ride.
Then the cops show up.
“You need to break this up now or your all going to be arrested,” says a voice out over the loudspeaker of a nearby Bakersfield Police Department patrol car.
The fun is broken up and everyone starts to clear out.
“We’re going to Fastrip,” a girl yells to a friend getting into a nearby car. East Niles now looks like backed up traffic in Los Angeles.
On June 7, the Bakersfield Police Department announced that it was cracking down on curfews for teens. Anyone under the age of 18 out after 10 p.m. risks being cited.
“We decided this year we’re going to do something different; we were going to inform the public before. This way parents know, and know what the law consist of,” said Detective Mary DeGeare of the BPD.
That night, several juveniles were arrested.
Sgt. Chevy Garza, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Department, said the department rountinely breaks up teen parties after 10 p.m. The recent publicized curfew sweep was a BPD decision, he said.
“We’re not doing more than what we’ve done in the past,’ he said. “We’re continuing to enforce it when applicable.”
He estimated “two to three hundred cruisers” can be found on Niles during a typical weekend. Problems can occurr on the east side of town due to drinking, fighting, trash and graffitti.
While The Marketplace has security guards, police are rarely seen at the center after 10 p.m. on any given day.
“Sit down or leave!” the security guards yell at the 16- and 17-year olds waiting for their parents.
“The whole purpose of enforcing the curfew now more than before is to decrease vandalism and whatnot, but there will be an increase of violence against police officers, guaranteed,” said 16-year-old Scott Lackey, one of several teens at the Marketplace during a recent weekend evening.
But Bakersfield Police, which announced the crackdown in advance, said loitering teens result in more calls for police service.
“During the summer months, we experience an increase in calls for service,” said Detective Mary DeGeare. She said that although June 9 had a special “curfew sweep,” as most have realized, not every night would be like that. Mostly, the BPD will respond to calls of service, much like every other night.
“It’s up to the individual officer,” said DeGeare, “whether or not it is safe to send them on their way.” And most of the time, the police will just tell the teens to go on home, and hope they listen.
“In my house, we don’t have a curfew,” said Deborah Kin, 16, who was at the Marketplace. And such is the case for many teens. Their parents think they are adult enough to stay out as late as they please, as long as they occasionally check in. Parents want to know whom their kids are with, and what they are doing, but they don’t usually care when they are doing it.
However, DeGeare said, if minors’ parents or guardians know they are out after 10 p.m., and aren’t doing anything about it, the parents can be cited. This doesn’t mean that will be fined, but the possibility is there.
“I feel the curfew is a punishment for the crimes committed by the few,” said 16-year-old David Neal.