Thirteen Teens Arrested In East County Curfew Sweep

In an effort to prevent teens from becoming victims or participants in criminal activity, members of community organizations teamed up with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department to conduct a curfew sweep of parts of Spring Valley and Lemon Grove Friday night.

Coming together in the operation, which was based out of the on Spring Drive, were Sheriff’s deputies, officials from the Grossmont Union High School District, several faith-based organizations, and San Diego Youth Services. According to deputies, the curfew sweeps are conducted every couple of months.

With the exception of Lemon Grove, which enforces a curfew of 11 p.m., all other parts of the county enforce a 10 p.m. curfew for those under 18 years of age. Deputies began the sweep shortly after 10 p.m., only contacting teens who did not fall into several exceptions of the curfew law, some of which include going to and from jobs or school activities. The operation ran until just after 1 a.m.

One of the youngest to be contacted was a 13-year-old boy, who was picked up near the In-N-Out Burger on Massachusetts Avenue in Lemon Grove.

“Hopefully we can educate this young man so he’s not being victimized the next time he’s out,” said the arresting officer, Juvenile Detective Jason Rouse. Rouse and other deputies emphasized that while the juveniles are arrested for curfew violation, their goal is not to scare them, but rather to educate them on the dangers that they will likely encounter on the streets late at night.

When the juveniles are arrested, deputies immediately contact their parents or guardians, instructing them to meet their children at the command center in Spring Valley.

Once at the command center, juveniles are processed by deputies, and their names are checked for previous criminal records. Officials from the Grossmont Union High School District also check their school records.

“We’ll look at their attendance, we’ll look at their grades, their discipline, and try to get a feel for some of their story and why they’re out on the streets,” said Lucia Washburn, director of Student Support Services at Grossmont Union High School District. “Then we’ll hook them into counseling services, let the school counselors know, sometimes talk to them about alternative programs.”

When parents and guardians arrive at the center, they are counseled with their children. Most offenders are offered the chance to have their charges dropped by participating in several diversion programs that are designed to keep them off the streets and out of trouble.

“The program is really to bring the parents and the youth together,” said Josh Snyder, program manager at San Diego Youth Services.”We basically need to make sure that the youth are safe, and instill that belief in the parents that it’s their responsibility.”

The juveniles and parents sign a contract in which they agree to participate in all the required activities, one of which is the assignment of a 600-word essay about their experience of being arrested. Classes are also given through some faith based organizations, however, no religious subjects are discussed. Topics include gangs, substance abuse and peer pressure. While some parents refuse to sign the contracts, a majority are willing to cooperate, Snyder said.

“I think a lot of the parents are either scared, or nervous, or upset at first,” said Kimberly McKinney of , one of the faith-based organizations that offer classes as a part of the diversion program. “And by the time they leave, they usually feel pretty good about the program itself.”