Kids Running Amuck

 
Our city has had a curfew for Minors set for quite a few years now.  Although this was not in place when I was of that age, I tend to believe it is a good idea.  There are a lot of kids these days that are out of control and get into a lot of trouble, mainly stemming from improper adult supervision.  I guess it all boils down to…If the parents won’t keep an eye on their kids, then we can at least make sure they are not out late enough to cause trouble for themselves or others by imposing a curfew.

Many years ago, children weren’t as interested in staying out late and doing things they weren’t supposed to, but as times change, so do standards.  I believe a lot of these types of antics actually do stem from media and movie makers.  Bad attitudes and improper teachings seem to be advertised as the “norm” on TV a may of simply started out as fiction.  But like the saying goes, “Monkey see, Monkey do”.

I know there are several city and state wide curfews in place all across America, but I’m sure they all vary a bit depending on demographics and such.  But I know some areas of the country have many dangers lurking in the night, and some kids have been known to come up missing or even killed while out at night. I’m quite interested in what others have to say about all this, and maybe some insight on the laws of your region concerning curfews for minors.
 

Official Curfew Press Release

Here is the official press release from our law enforcement concerning any updates to, and the extension of our cities curfew.

The City Council chose to extend the Curfew Hours for minors for three more years.  The ordinance reads that, “It shall be unlawful for any minor to knowingly remain, walk, run, stand, drive or ride about, in or upon any public place in the City” during prohibited hours.

A minor is defined as any person under the age of 17 years old.

Prohibited Hours are as follows:

(1) 11:00 p.m. Sunday evening and 6:00 a.m. Monday morning;
(2) 11:00 p.m. Monday evening and 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning;
(3) 11:00 p.m. Tuesday evening and 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning;
(4) 11:00 p.m. Wednesday evening and 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning;
(5) 11:00 p.m. Thursday evening and 6:00 a.m. Friday morning;
(6) 12:01 a.m. Saturday morning and 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning; and
(7) 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning and 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

Defenses to Prosecution:

(1) Accompanied by the minor’s parent or guardian;
(2) On an errand at the direction of the minor’s parent or guardian, without any detour or stop;
(3) In a motor vehicle involved in interstate travel;
(4) Engaged in a employment activity, or going to or returning home from an employment activity, without any detour or stop;
(5) Involved in an emergency;
(6) On the sidewalk abutting the minor’s residence or abutting the residence of a next door neighbor if the neighbor did not complain to the police department about the minor’s presence;
(7) Attending an official school, religious, or other recreational activity supervised by adults and sponsored by the City, a civic organization, or another similar entity that takes responsibility for the minor, or going to or returning home from, without any detour or stop, an official school, religious, or other recreational activity supervised by adults and sponsored by the City, a civic organization, or another similar entity that takes responsibility for the minor;
(8) Exercising First Amendment rights protected by the United States Constitution, such as the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and the right of assembly;
(9) Married or had been married or had disabilities of minority removed in accordance with Chapter 31 of the Family Code; or
(b) It is a defense to prosecution that the owner, operator, or employee of an establishment promptly notified the police department or a peace officer, that a minor was present on the premises of the establishment during curfew hours and refused to leave.

A first offense for a minor issued a Citation for Curfew violation is- $200.00. A second offense for Curfew violation is- $300.00.

 
I personally don’t think these hours are unreasonable, I think it’s a key part of keeping the kids and our city safe from mischief.  Now it’s true that not all kids or parents will abide by these rules, but if caught, the parents are ultimately responsible and may be fined a pretty decent amount for multiple violations.  I’m quite sure that if the conduct were to continue, they may even be jailed and prosecuted.

If your city has a curfew ordinance, let me know how you feel about it.