The Fort Worth City Council has recently given consideration to repealing the curfew law in town.
The curfew law, issued in 1994, states that teens under the age of 17 cannot be out from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays, and midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends without a parent or guardian.
Police say it is a good tool to address juvenile related issues. The City Council should keep this law in place.
In the past three years, police have cited 120 teenagers for breaking this law. Because of these citations, the ordinance has potentially protected many youths from victimization and crime.
The curfew law is helpful when there is genuine crime being committed, although for teens who may have events or jobs that require them to stay past midnight, it is very unfair. I am sure that some kids have been falsely and unfairly cited for being out between midnight and 6 a.m. when they are simply just out of the house.
On the other hand, research has shown that curfews reduce juvenile arrests and young people committing crimes.
The curfew law also prevents teens and kids from being out in dark hours rather than being at home with their families.
The City of Fort Worth is required to reauthorize this law every three years, and they are considering taking it away completely.
As of now, the ordinance is set to expire on Jan. 14 if the city council takes no action.
A public hearing will take place Dec. 13 to hear public opinion on this matter, and voting takes place on Jan. 14.
I believe this law needs to be issued another term. While I also believe that it could be unfair for kids who are innocent and have no intention of committing any wrongdoing, the curfew law also helps teens develop time management skills and saves parents a lot of stress when it comes to their children’s safety.
Although I believe it is unfair to innocent kids, it prevents an unnecessary amount of crime.