harrisonsdream
05-10-2007, 11:02 AM
Juveniles must be off streets an hour earlier
Those 16 and younger ordered to be home by 11 p.m. on weeknights, council decides
By ALEXIS GRANT
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Nights got a little shorter for most teenagers following changes to the city's curfew passed Wednesday.
Children under 17 must be off the streets by 11 p.m. on weeknights instead of the previous midnight rule, under revisions to the curfew ordinance approved by the City Council. It takes effect immediately.
"On school nights, you should be at home asleep and doing your schoolwork," said Mayor Bill White. "Unless you're working or working on some sort of school project, you don't need to be running around on the streets after 11 o'clock."
The ordinance includes existing exceptions for teenagers who are accompanied by a parent, traveling to work, participating in events sponsored by a school, government, church group or sports organization, or involved in an emergency.
All others now are prohibited from being on the streets after 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends, including during summer months when school is not in session.
The previous curfew had been in place since 1991 and applied to children under 18, setting the deadline at midnight every night.
The midnight curfew still stands on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as on the eve of holidays.
Several parents said they support the new rules, though most said they preferred the law also apply to 17-year-olds.
"I think it's awesome that they're getting strict on these kids," said Jody Wilding, a Meyerland resident who has a 16-year-old son. "They have no business being out at 11 o'clock on a school night, I don't care how old they are."
The city's curfew ordinance includes daytime restrictions when school is in session, requiring children under 17 to be off the streets from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The council made no changes to that rule.
Council members debated the issue for 40 minutes during Wednesday's meeting before the panel approved the new limits 11-3. Ada Edwards, Addie Wiseman and Michael Berry voted against the measure.
"We have now taken over the role of parents," Berry said. "When we make it a crime to be outside your home, and not breach the peace, I have a big problem with that."
Crime-fighting tool
The Houston Police Department had pushed for the earlier curfew, saying it would help deter crime committed by and against juveniles.
Edwards said she doubts forcing an earlier deadline on teenagers will help reduce crime. Several council members also raised concerns during previous meetings that HPD doesn't have the personnel to enforce an earlier curfew.
Violators face a citation that carries a $173 fine, but often are offered the option of performing community service instead, allowing them to keep the misdemeanor off their records. About half of violators take that route, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of municipal court records late last year.
More than 4,500 citations were issued in 2006, about two-thirds of them daytime violations, according to police data. The number of night curfew violations has decreased every year since 2003, dropping to about 1,460 in 2006.
Stricter option defeated
The council last year considered rolling the curfew back even further, to 10 p.m., but several members said that was too strict. The panel also held several public forums at that time and heard from parents and students on both sides of the issue.
Gayle Pechacek, a Timbergrove parent, said Wednesday that an 11 p.m. curfew is appropriate for her 14-year-old son.
"A curfew is vitally important for kids because they need that structure, and sometimes it's really difficult for parents to enforce rules that society doesn't back up," she said. "This just gives (parents) a little more power."
Those 16 and younger ordered to be home by 11 p.m. on weeknights, council decides
By ALEXIS GRANT
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Nights got a little shorter for most teenagers following changes to the city's curfew passed Wednesday.
Children under 17 must be off the streets by 11 p.m. on weeknights instead of the previous midnight rule, under revisions to the curfew ordinance approved by the City Council. It takes effect immediately.
"On school nights, you should be at home asleep and doing your schoolwork," said Mayor Bill White. "Unless you're working or working on some sort of school project, you don't need to be running around on the streets after 11 o'clock."
The ordinance includes existing exceptions for teenagers who are accompanied by a parent, traveling to work, participating in events sponsored by a school, government, church group or sports organization, or involved in an emergency.
All others now are prohibited from being on the streets after 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends, including during summer months when school is not in session.
The previous curfew had been in place since 1991 and applied to children under 18, setting the deadline at midnight every night.
The midnight curfew still stands on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as on the eve of holidays.
Several parents said they support the new rules, though most said they preferred the law also apply to 17-year-olds.
"I think it's awesome that they're getting strict on these kids," said Jody Wilding, a Meyerland resident who has a 16-year-old son. "They have no business being out at 11 o'clock on a school night, I don't care how old they are."
The city's curfew ordinance includes daytime restrictions when school is in session, requiring children under 17 to be off the streets from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The council made no changes to that rule.
Council members debated the issue for 40 minutes during Wednesday's meeting before the panel approved the new limits 11-3. Ada Edwards, Addie Wiseman and Michael Berry voted against the measure.
"We have now taken over the role of parents," Berry said. "When we make it a crime to be outside your home, and not breach the peace, I have a big problem with that."
Crime-fighting tool
The Houston Police Department had pushed for the earlier curfew, saying it would help deter crime committed by and against juveniles.
Edwards said she doubts forcing an earlier deadline on teenagers will help reduce crime. Several council members also raised concerns during previous meetings that HPD doesn't have the personnel to enforce an earlier curfew.
Violators face a citation that carries a $173 fine, but often are offered the option of performing community service instead, allowing them to keep the misdemeanor off their records. About half of violators take that route, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of municipal court records late last year.
More than 4,500 citations were issued in 2006, about two-thirds of them daytime violations, according to police data. The number of night curfew violations has decreased every year since 2003, dropping to about 1,460 in 2006.
Stricter option defeated
The council last year considered rolling the curfew back even further, to 10 p.m., but several members said that was too strict. The panel also held several public forums at that time and heard from parents and students on both sides of the issue.
Gayle Pechacek, a Timbergrove parent, said Wednesday that an 11 p.m. curfew is appropriate for her 14-year-old son.
"A curfew is vitally important for kids because they need that structure, and sometimes it's really difficult for parents to enforce rules that society doesn't back up," she said. "This just gives (parents) a little more power."