The Ascension Parish sheriff promised to crackdown on juvenile curfew violations in light of a recent increase in gang activity in west Ascension Parish. Sheriff Jeff Wiley tells The Advocate juveniles found on the streets after curfew will be picked up and detained at Donaldsonville City Hall, where their parents will be contacted. Wiley says the offenders' parents will be held responsible for their children's activity. "We'll have someone wait and sit with (the juveniles) until their parents come," Wiley said. "If we wait much longer than an hour, we'll arrest the parents." According to city ordinance, children under 17 years of age are not allowed to be on the streets between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.Wiley shared his concerns with a recent uptick in crime on the parish's west bank at last week's Donaldsonville City Council meeting, promising that his office would increase patrols to help deter some of the crime. Although Donaldsonville is an incorporated municipality, it contracts with the Sheriff's Office to provide law enforcement services. "Frankly, it's been a rough spring and summer in the city of Donaldsonville and in west Ascension," the sheriff said. "That's not to suggest that we don't have our plate full across the river. But, statistically, I could make a strong argument that we have issues here with pockets of the community that are clearly lawless." Since March, Wiley said, his office has tallied 186 crimes against people, including simple battery, simple assault, armed robberies and murder. Wiley told the council those statistics reflect a dangerous trend that must be curtailed, and that enhanced law enforcement measures will hopefully be the answer.