§ 22-488. General parental responsibility.

(a)

Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Delinquent act means any act which violates the laws of the United States, the statutes of the state or the ordinances of this city or an act which would cause or tend to cause a minor to come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile division of the probate court, but does not include traffic violations.

Illegal drugs means controlled substances, as defined now or hereafter by the public acts of the state, obtained without a legal prescription.

Minor means any person under 17 years of age residing with a parent or guardian.

Parent means mother, father, legal guardian and any other person having the care or custody of a minor or any person acting in the parent's stead who has custody or control of the minor.

(b)

Parental duties. It is the continuous duty of the parent of any minor to exercise reasonable control to prevent the minor from committing any delinquent act. Such continuous duty includes the following parental duties (but does not exclude others):

(1)

To keep illegal drugs or illegal firearms out of the home and legal firearms secured in places that are inaccessible to the minor;

(2)

To know the curfew regulations of the city and to require the minor to observe the curfew regulations;

(3)

To require the minor to attend regular school sessions and to forbid the minor to be absent from class without parental or school permission;

(4)

To arrange proper supervision for the minor when the parent must be absent;

(5)

To take the necessary precautions to prevent the minor from maliciously or willfully destroying real, personal, or mixed property of others, including property which belongs to this city, or is located in this city;

(6)

To forbid the minor from keeping stolen property, or illegally possessing firearms or illegal drugs, and to seek help from appropriate governmental authorities or private agencies in handling or controlling the minor, when necessary.

(c)

Notification of parents; record of notification. Whenever a minor is arrested or detained for the commission of any delinquent act within this city, the parents of the minor shall be immediately notified by the police department of such arrest or detention, the reason for such arrest or detention, and the parents' responsibility under this article. A record of such notification shall be kept by the police department.

(d)

Parental violation and penalty. A parent shall not, by any act, word, or nonperformance of a parental duty, encourage, contribute toward, cause, or tend to cause his minor child to commit a delinquent act. If a parent violates this subsection and his minor commits a delinquent act, penalty for violation of this subsection may include a sentence of probation with the condition that the parent participate in, through completion, a court-approved, community-based treatment program (such as parenting skills, family services, employment and training, etc.).

(Code 1977, § 15-266; Ord. No. 222, § 11, 1-22-1996)