Curfews have long been a battleground between parents and their children. Flexing their negotiating muscles, teenagers attack curfews as a game of push and pull.
“11pm?”
“No, 10pm.”
“Midnight?”
“No, 11pm.”
But what if the curfew was the law? With summer here and teens enjoying more idle time than ever, more and more jurisdictions are considering implementing curfews.
In Birmingham, Ala., for example, the curfew is set at 10pm during the week and midnight on weekends. Unfortunately, in the summer when every night feels like a weekend, the law enforcement officials have their hands full policing 16- year -olds in parking lots. In Saddle Brook, N.J. the local government has passed a youth curfew for 10 pm to take effect at the end of the month. Other jurisdictions have not yet established curfews, but are considering them.
While such implementations might seem like a nuisance to high school students who just want to enjoy their summers and nights off, these policies are intended to protect teens themselves as much as to make sure they stay out of trouble. A recent curfew crackdown in Escondido, Calif. ended a number of friendly hang–outs, but it also stopped two young girls from going on a date they unknowingly planned with a registered sex offender. Other towns are considering curfews meant to protect children in the light of day as well as at night. The local council of Concord, Calif. has recently passed a day curfew which would allow law enforcement to act if a child is seen out on the town during school days.
Just like the arguments with their parents though, teenagers often refuse to accept these curfews without putting up a fight. In Montgomery County, Md. local government has called for a curfew that matches that of its neighbors in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Md. These requests have not been an easy win for local officials, as students have taken to the Internet to fight the curfew through Facebook and with an opinion piece published in the Washington Post. Even some parents have questioned local curfews. An incident in Crestwood, Ky. left a straight-A student who was just leaving work late slapped with a citation. Establishing and policing curfews raises tricky questions about the balance between keeping kids safe and giving responsible teenagers some degree of freedom. Does your town have a curfew? Are you considering one? Share your community’s experiences on our Knowledge Network Curfews topic page. Or find more information on the topic pages for Juvenile Crime Prevention and Public Safety. You can also view a sample curfew ordinance.