[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Riverside 11-28-1973 by Ord. No. 1973-18 (Ch. 195 of the 1995 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Township Committee of the Township of Riverside does specifically find and determine that a substantial number of incidents involved in the violation of public peace are committed by minors and in a significant part are occasioned by the failure of the parent of the minor to exercise reasonable control and supervision over said minor. There presently exist in the State of New Jersey certain statutes which do afford a means whereby parents are alerted to the responsibilities to both the minor and to society in general, and it is the legislative judgment of the Township Committee, after investigation of all facts, that supplemental local legislation is desirable and necessary to accomplish and enforce effective parental control and responsibility over minors. It is this void that this chapter is intended to fulfill pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:48-1.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
MINOR
Any person under the age of 18 years.
PARENT
Includes either or both parents of a minor, legal guardian (as guardian of such minor) or other persons having the care or custody of the minor committing the violation of the public peace. In order to sustain a conviction under this chapter, it shall not be necessary to prove that the minor resided in or with the offending parent.
VIOLATION OF THE PUBLIC PEACE
Defacing, damaging or destroying public property or the private property of another within the Township of Riverside; committing an assault or assault and battery upon another in the Township of Riverside; or consuming and/or possession of alcoholic beverages and/or harmful drugs in a public place in the Township.
An offense by a parent shall be rebuttably presumed pursuant to § 295-4 of this chapter when the following events occur: If a minor has been convicted before a court of competent jurisdiction of an act defined as juvenile delinquency or juvenile offense, which conviction the parents shall be rebuttably presumed to have knowledge of, and such minor shall again be charged and socially convicted of the same classification of offense, then, in that event, it shall be rebuttably presumed that the parent allowed, permitted and suffered said minor to commit a violation of the public peace.
It shall be unlawful for any parent to assist, aid, abet, allow, permit, suffer or encourage such minor to commit a violation of the public peace, as defined herein, either by overt act, by failure to act or by lack of supervision and control over such minor.
[Amended 9-25-1995 by Ord. No. 1995-10; 8-23-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-18]
Any person, firm, corporation, association or legal party whatsoever who shall violate, or authorize or procure a violation, or cause to be violated, any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable as provided under Chapter 1, Article II, General Penalty.
The remedy provisions of this chapter shall be cumulative, not exclusive, and the state or any other person shall have the right to proceed under any other legally available remedies.