By Dan Cortez, Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
DETROIT, Mich.— Nicole Adams rested her head in her hand as she waited to be processed in a garage at the Northwestern District office of the Detroit Police Department late Thursday.
She was arrested because she did not appear for a court hearing after her 16-year-old daughter was arrested for a curfew violation. To Adams, her daughter was the culprit.
“Why am I here for something I didn’t do?” asked Adams, 43. “The blame should go on her.”
Adams was one of about 50 parents targeted Thursday night in an unprecedented sweep led by the police department’s gang squad.
Officers had planned to spend eight hours in search of parents and guardians who missed court dates after violating the parental responsibility ordinance.
That’s a city law that charges parents or legal guardians with misdemeanors if their children younger than 17 commit crimes due at least in part to poor parental supervision.
The goal is to hold parents more accountable for where their kids are and what they are doing, police said.
“Being a parent is the ultimate responsibility and as a parent, the adult has a duty by law and by nature to ensure the proper care and control of their children,” Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said in a statement.
Those arrested face up to $100 fines for first offenses. aThey could spend up to a month in jail for additional violations. Most of those brought in Thursday were held on bonds ranging from $100 to $300. Some were found to have additional warrants out for their arrests.
Police records show that more than 60% of parents who are cited for violating the ordinance do not appear for their court dates. Similar sweeps are expected in the future.
After thinking about the program, Adams, who lives in northwest Detroit, saw some value in the sweep.
“I can’t blame them,” she said. “They’re doing their job. You have to be accountable.”
Copyright 2007 Detroit Free Press