HUNTINGTON BEACH : More Teen Curfew Sweeps Are Likely

The city probably will have more curfew sweeps in its downtown, but they won’t be announced in advance, a police spokesman said this week.

“We’re not going to tell anyone (in advance) because the (news) media caused us a lot of problems,” Lt. Charles Poe said Tuesday .

Poe said police were particularly “disappointed” at the behavior of television crews who covered Saturday night’s sweep of the downtown area. That sweep had been announced in advance by police. But Poe said the resulting coverage, especially by TV crews, caused young people to act rowdy.

“The TV cameras became focal points for the kids to act up in front of,” Poe said. “The TV people were going up and down the street, asking kids, ‘What do you think about being kicked out?’ ”

Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg said that scores of youths gathered about 10 p.m. Saturday, when the curfew sweep began downtown. Lowenberg said police did not immediately move in and try to seize any of the taunting youths, but instead took a slow, low-key approach that he believes avoided a potential riot.

The curfew was aimed at enforcing the city’s law against loitering by juveniles after 10 p.m. in public places. Young people who are apprehended are held while their parents are notified to pick them up.

Poe said no definite decision has been made, but more sweeps are likely.

During the City Council’s public comments period Monday night, many city residents praised the curfew sweep, and no one spoke against it. Most speakers praised the low-key reaction of police to the rowdy youngsters.

Councilman Ralph Bauer also praised how police handled the sweep. “I know, because I was down there in the crowd, watching what happened,” Bauer said. “Police got the crowd to move along orderly, and I moved along with everyone else. It was handled very well.”

Poe said that police, in addition to enforcing the curfew law, are also on the lookout for bars and other businesses downtown that may hold crowds bigger than the legal limits.