A recent sweep enforcing Santa Clarita’s 10 p.m. curfew for minors sparked heated debate Tuesday evening at Santa Clarita’s City Council meeting, as parents accused deputies of overreach while city officials and law enforcement defended the crackdown as a necessary step to prevent violence.

During public comment at the City Council meeting, Santa Clarita mother Alicia Balsman said her daughter was unfairly detained after a football game when she stopped at In-N-Out Burger. 

She said her 16-year-old daughter was frisked, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a patrol car despite having no alcohol or contraband and just left a football game. 

“She was simply driving home with an uneaten hamburger,” Balsman told the Council. “Detaining teens getting food after a long game is not law enforcement. It’s a mistake.”

She said her daughter was detained within 30 minutes of leaving her school and going through the in-n-out drive thru.

Balsman argued the October 10 sweep – in which 31 minors were detained – amounted to mass detention of law-abiding teens. She warned that criminal records and fines could jeopardize college opportunities, citing a 1997 Ninth Circuit ruling that struck down San Diego’s curfew ordinance for being too broad.

City Response

Assistant City Manager Frank Oviedo defended the stepped-up enforcement, saying it came in response to escalating problems across the city.

“We were having significant issues,” Oviedo said. “There was excessive drinking. There was attempted rape in one of our parks, and they were all teenagers. This is a serious concern citywide… It’s never the intent to cause trauma to adolescents.”

Sheriff Captain’s Perspective

In an interview with KHTS, Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station Captain Brandon Barclay acknowledged frustrations from parents and students but said deputies are not trying to punish kids. Instead, he said, enforcement is aimed at preventing large late-night gatherings from spiraling out of control.

“This ordinance has been around a long time, but the enforcement needed to be picked up,” Barclay said. “We’ve had some serious incidents of violence … it just begs for action. We were firm but fair, and now we want to work with the community on this issue.”

Barclay pointed to incidents like a bottle attack at Pacific Crest Park that sent a teen to the hospital as justification. He stressed that deputies are not targeting teens who grab food after games.

“We’re not enforcing somebody just going through a drive-thru,” he said. “It’s when kids are congregating, fighting, or disrupting businesses – that’s what drives the need for deputies to step in.”

Barclay also urged parents to take an active role.

“Know where your kids are, and ideally be there with them,” he said. “The ordinance isn’t going anywhere.”

The City Council took no formal action on the curfew Tuesday, but the debate highlighted a sharp divide: many parents in SCV and students see the policy as unfair, while city officials insist it is necessary to protect public safety.

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