Parents to be hauled into court for their kids' curfew violations

PORTLAND, Ore. - Starting during spring break, authorities plan to start hauling Portland parents to court if their children under 15 are caught out past curfew, authorities said Monday.

Portland police said they want to crack down on large groups of teenagers roaming the streets after dark. Officials hope bringing parents to court will enable them to get help controlling their kids.

Authorities also want to prevent repeats of recent youth-involved violence in northeast Portland, including a random attack on the MAX, violence against bicyclists and an attempted car jacking.

Portland officials got the idea from the town of Silverton, where teen crime fell dramatically in the town of 7,000 after officials began holding parents responsible.

On Monday, prosecutors and police explained how the program works, saying parents would be called into court for a first offense and could face a fine for a second offense. 

"Society expects them to be responsible for the behavior of their kids, and there are tools out there to improve their capacity to hold their kids accountable," Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer said. 

Parents won't face criminal charges because under state law they can be held responsible but not criminally liable for the conduct of their children. However, they could be referred to a program called "Great Families" to help them with parenting skills.

"I think we're going to count success here one family at a time," said Jim Hayden, a Multnomah County deputy district attorney.

Authorities said the effort only applies to kids younger than 15 because older teens are more difficult to turn around.

They plan to focus on northeast Portland first and expand it if the program proves successful.