Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Striplin said Tuesday a recent crackdown on the city’s curfew law, which “has been on the books for a couple of decades,” has come from an uptick in complaints about incidents involving teens.
The city manager told City Council members at their Tuesday meeting that residents have been complaining about large groups of teens gathering in city parks after hours, drinking and causing noise disturbances.
Several of the incidents have led to violence, Striplin said, mentioning frequent complaints about fights at the Bouquet Canyon Road In-N-Out parking lot on Friday nights, as well as a social media video that showed one teen smashing a bottle over another teen’s head at a late-night park gathering with hundreds of teens. Complaints over illegal fireworks are also part of the problem, he said.
Vaishnavi Mahajan, a college student and Academy of the Canyons alumni, expressed fear to the council over the recent enforcement, hearing concerns from her younger brother, a high schooler, about his peers being detained and being administered DUI tests for being out past 10 p.m., the city’s curfew.
She said as a former AOC student, she recalled when she had a lab class Tuesdays that kept her on the College of the Canyons campus until 9:30 p.m. She didn’t want to see her sibling or his friends get hassled because they got caught in a long line at Taco Bell on their way home.
Striplin said he appreciated the comments, but that deputies were not looking to detain teens and that the enforcement was in response to the concerns mentioned.
“I can tell you that enforcing the curfew ordinance certainly isn’t what the Sheriff’s Department wants to be doing on Friday and Saturday nights, and unfortunately, you know, we’ve gotten to that point,” he said. “It’s enforced when it becomes an issue.”
Fighting, loud music, public drinking in cars and, in general, “wreaking havoc” in residential neighborhoods have all been among the issues, he added.
He specifically mentioned a recent Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station operation targeting the illegal activity happening at the In-N-Out parking lot after football games on Fridays.
SCV Sheriff’s Station officials shared a video montage from a recent operation targeting juvenile offenders, as well as some statistics from it, in a Facebook post Monday.
“In response to community concerns and recent safety incidents, our station has increased juvenile curfew enforcement throughout the city of Santa Clarita,” according to the post. “Over the weekend: 31 juveniles were detained for curfew violations; one vehicle was towed; one e-bike was impounded. These efforts are part of our ongoing commitment to youth safety and maintaining peace in our neighborhoods.”
SCV Sheriff’s Station Capt. Brandon Barclay urged parents to get involved to help curb the reports, which have been on the rise since the beginning of the year.
“Over the past several months, the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station has responded to an increasing number of serious incidents involving large groups of juveniles congregating in local parks and commercial areas, particularly following high school football games,” Barclay said in a statement emailed Thursday. “Since January 2025, we have received multiple reports involving more than 100 juveniles engaging in illegal and dangerous behavior, including underage drinking, drug use, physical altercations among themselves and with business staff and customers, vandalism of vehicles and property, and reckless operation of e-motorcycles.”
The gatherings disrupt business and threaten safety, he said.
“In response, we have increased patrols, implemented targeted enforcement operations and are working closely with school officials, city leadership, and local business owners to address these issues directly and effectively,” he added. “We want to make it clear that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in Santa Clarita. Our goal is to ensure that our community remains a safe and welcoming place for families, businesses and residents. We are committed to holding individuals accountable for their actions and preventing further escalation.’
