A Corona del Mar resident is pushing back on Newport Beach's new holiday curfew for minors, arguing the city's own arrest data undercuts the case for restricting teenagers.
DeAnna Reposa published a letter in Stu News Newport on Thursday, Sept. 17, calling the ordinance a "knee-jerk response to one chaotic holiday" and questioning whether it will make anyone safer. The letter landed five days before the City Council is scheduled to take a final adoption vote on the curfew at its Tuesday, Sept. 22 meeting.
The council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 2026-15 on first reading on Sept. 8. The measure bans minors under 18 from public property in the West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.
The numbers behind the debate
The ordinance was a direct response to the July 4 weekend, when police made approximately 439 arrests between July 3 and July 5, according to the ordinance text. About 328 of those arrests stemmed from a mass incident shortly after midnight on July 5 that included fights, illegal fireworks and the looting of a Pavilions grocery store, Voice of OC reported.
More than 97% of those arrested lived outside Newport Beach. The curfew targets minors. But only about 20% of those arrested were juveniles between the ages of 13 and 17, according to the ordinance. More than 70% were adults ages 18 to 25, according to Voice of OC's July reporting.
"Our young people should not be collectively punished for the actions of a relatively small number of individuals," Reposa wrote.
The lifeguard question
Reposa also flagged what she called an "especially important irony." The city employs lifeguards as young as 16 and 17, she wrote. The ordinance does exempt minors traveling to or from work or engaged in lawful employment. But Reposa asked how police would distinguish between a curfew violator and a teenager heading to or from a shift.
The city already enforces a 10 p.m. beach closing time. Reposa suggested Newport Beach consider a consistent 6 a.m.-to-sunset beach access policy, similar to Crystal Cove, rather than singling out minors with a 6 p.m. cutoff.
Committee proposal fails 4-3
When the council approved the curfew on Sept. 9, it also voted 4-3 against forming an ad hoc public safety committee to study broader safety measures. Councilmembers Michelle Barto, Joe Stapleton and Robyn Grant voted in favor of the committee.
Grant called the curfew an "important first step" at the Sept. 9 meeting but wanted to delay the vote until after Stapleton hosted a town hall Sept. 14 at Marina Park, the Daily Pilot reported.
The ordinance also grants the police chief or city manager authority to restrict pedestrian and vehicle access, close piers and beach sections, and designate rideshare drop-off points during the three holidays.
The council's second and final vote on the curfew is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22. Residents can attend or submit public comments at the council meeting.
