HERMISTON, Ore.- Hermiston Chief of Police Jason Edmiston is calling on a 20-year-old city ordinance to cite 5 parents for the actions of their children on Thursday.
The children were involved in a felony assault of another student and have been booked into the Umatilla County Juvenile Department.
“The absolute lack of respect displayed by each of these youth while here at the police department is a trend our officers are seeing more and more and could be a sign of how these children were raised,” said Chief Edmiston in a Facebook post.
The chief cited Hermiston City Ordinance 130.11 which says a guardian is required to report offences to authorities or make an attempt to control the child’s action if present. The ordinance include restitution of up to $2,500 for results of a minor’s actions.
“It is not the job of the school system nor the police department to raise children with values and morals,” said Chief Edmiston. “With summer knocking on the door, I fully anticipate our department to start utilizing this ordinance and citing more parents this summer.”
The Chief of Police adds that the ordinance has been scarcely used in his 11 years in his position and has left the code in the hands of officers’ discretion. In the past, it has been used for graffiti or extreme cases.
