Their experience contrasts with the findings of a highly critical report to be published in the September issue of the Western Criminology Review. The report's authors reported that they found no evidence that curfews in California reduced juvenile crime. They also contended that black and Hispanic youths were disproportionately targeted. However, the San Jose police regard the curfew as a preventive program to reduce violence and victimization of juveniles and not as a law enforcement tool. The police also say that socioeconomic factors mean that minority youth are the ones most likely to be on the streets at night. San Jose police statistics reveal a 23-percent decline in the number of juveniles victimized during curfew hours in its first 3 years. San Jose's ordinance allows nine reasonable curfew excuses, including going to or coming from a school, sports, political or religious event; a concert; or another organized activity by a reasonably direct route and going to or from a paid or volunteer job at a lawful place of employment by a direct route. San Jose's system costs $1 million a year; using citations instead of holding youth until their parents arrive could probably enable smaller agencies to achieve a similar result at lower cost. Photograph