Councilmen Propose Citywide Curfew For Kids Under 18

[david7035 1]

Two Republican City Council members are pushing a proposal to keep kids off the street late at night, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't too fond of the idea.

Councilmen Dennis Gallagher of Queens and James Oddo of Staten Island plan to introduce a bill Tuesday that would establish a citywide curfew. They're trying to revive a measure drafted but never passed in the 1990's.

The proposed measure would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from being in a public place without an adult between midnight and 6 a.m.

Violators could be escorted home by the police, or held at a police precinct until their parents can pick them up.


Police could also issue a summons for violating the curfew, and parents who knowingly let their children violate the curfew could be fined.

However, the mayor seems to disagree with the plan, saying a curfew is not the city's responsibility.

“I’ve always believed that parents should raise their children and should set some appropriate times for them to be home, and parents should know where their children are and what they are doing, but I don’t know that I think that government should be involved in that," said Bloomberg.

[david7035 1]

i do not think that teenagers should get a curfew

[user unknown]

wouldn't a curfew for people, older than 26, make much more sense?
From 20:30 pm till 08:00 am.

US-Americans!

[rjryn2]

I definatly disagree with the curfew thing. The main reason i disagree is because Im 17! lol, and it wouldn't be fair if i couldn't go to a late movie if i wanted to. Or mabye i had some religeous practice that caused me to be out past the curfew, either way this law would be violating alot of rights.

[mzilikazi]

As a parent I indeed do feel that teenagers need a curfew. I do not however feel that it should be illegal for a teenager to be out after midnight. These are 2 different issues. The real problem here (at least IMHO) is that we're running short on both responsible adults as well as responsible teenagers.

The teenagers I see drive better cars than I do, wear better clothes than I do, have cell phones, their own pc's, their own (locked?) rooms, even their own credit cards.

School teachers and councilors are verbally abused and blamed by parents for their childs poor grades. Parents have literally killed each other and referees at sporting events!

What's wrong with us?
We create more and more laws but nothing changes!?

What are we (as parents) to do if a teenager decides he doesn't like the rules as they are? Lock the house up? Put bars on the windows? Set up a security system so we know who comes and goes and when and why? How about a sign in/out sheet? (Note the similarity to a prison). Do we have to escort teenagers to and from school and force them to go to each and every class? Why not, we already need (and have) metal detectors, surveillance cameras and police at the schools.

As an adult I feel that my rights as a parent have been taken away by the same laws that are intended to protect children. You walk a very thin line by choosing to physically punish your child and as it stands, no one but the police can tell you the teenager what to do. Your parents certainly cannot. You can thank or blame whomever you feel is responsible but that's the way I see it here in the USA.

In the end I feel it's up to you as a teenager to be responsible enough to prove that such curfews aren't necessary just as it's up to parents to take some responsibility for themselves and their children instead of throwing a tantrum and suing someone every time they get the notion.

[mzilikazi]

wouldn't a curfew for people, older than 26, make much more sense?
From 20:30 pm till 08:00 am.

US-Americans!

Ah the good life, going to bed early and sleeping late......... I love the idea myself!

[chris-harry]

trust me... curfues dont really work... there was a place near where i live and they tried it... but it never really worked... infact, it caused more problems then what it was ment to solve...

it also moved the problem to some other poor town... which isnt really fair.

trust me... when your town is bad... just move. its the best thing to do... or buy some kevlar and a shot gun

[rjryn2]

As a parent I indeed do feel that teenagers need a curfew. I do not however feel that it should be illegal for a teenager to be out after midnight. These are 2 different issues. The real problem here (at least IMHO) is that we're running short on both responsible adults as well as responsible teenagers.

The teenagers I see drive better cars than I do, wear better clothes than I do, have cell phones, their own pc's, their own (locked?) rooms, even their own credit cards.

School teachers and councilors are verbally abused and blamed by parents for their childs poor grades. Parents have literally killed each other and referees at sporting events!

What's wrong with us?
We create more and more laws but nothing changes!?

What are we (as parents) to do if a teenager decides he doesn't like the rules as they are? Lock the house up? Put bars on the windows? Set up a security system so we know who comes and goes and when and why? How about a sign in/out sheet? (Note the similarity to a prison). Do we have to escort teenagers to and from school and force them to go to each and every class? Why not, we already need (and have) metal detectors, surveillance cameras and police at the schools.

As an adult I feel that my rights as a parent have been taken away by the same laws that are intended to protect children. You walk a very thin line by choosing to physically punish your child and as it stands, no one but the police can tell you the teenager what to do. Your parents certainly cannot. You can thank or blame whomever you feel is responsible but that's the way I see it here in the USA.

In the end I feel it's up to you as a teenager to be responsible enough to prove that such curfews aren't necessary just as it's up to parents to take some responsibility for themselves and their children instead of throwing a tantrum and suing someone every time they get the notion.

LOL. im 17 and i drive a nice car, build my own computers, lock my room if i want to, i have a debit/credit card and i wear fairly nice clothing, but that doesnt mean anything. I worked and payed for all that i have. Also i dont disrespect my teachers or parents. Are there bad kids/adults out there? YES, of course, not everyone is going to be good or what you want them to be.

Anyway i believe that the parents should be responsible for setting the curfew of teenagers as its always been even if there are parents who dont give a crap about how long their kids stay out, because your completely omiting the parents who do set curfews. So, if you want to enforce a curfew then enforce it on your own child/children. Dont get mad at other people, and try to make an amendment out of it , your invading other peoples freedoms. Thats like saying " i want to make an amendment that prohibits smoking everywhere". To be truthfull i would agree with that amendment , because thats just my opinion. If people want to harm their bodies by smoking let them do it, dont invade their freedoms unless they harm you doing it. And there are already laws in place that prevent other's from invading yours or harming you.

[SunnyB]

The overall response in this forum to the curfew question
indicates that the majority of people responding were
underage.

Children under 18 (age of consent) should have a
mandatory curfew. Parents of children that repeatedly
violate that curfew should be fined or jailed. The ultimately
responsibility and liability lies with them.

I may be methusalistic and antiquated but I can remember
myself between the ages of 14 to 17 and I can say without
hesitation that all underage "children" should have more
stringent controls. And these controls should start at home.

[gowator]

lets start off - Im 36...

The overall response in this forum to the curfew question
indicates that the majority of people responding were
underage.

But I do agree with rjryn2

Im sorry but you could make observations on a racial group or sex and say the same things...

most violence to white males is by other white males under 26...
white males are a large part of the population so curfew them all under 26!!! ?? madness.

who is the curfew for? the parents so they can divulge repsonsibility for their kids themselves or is it for 'other peoples kids'

Anyway i believe that the parents should be responsible for setting the curfew of teenagers as its always been even if there are parents who dont give a crap about how long their kids stay out, because your completely omiting the parents who do set curfews. So, if you want to enforce a curfew then enforce it on your own child/children. Dont get mad at other people, and try to make an amendment out of it , your invading other peoples freedoms. Thats like saying " i want to make an amendment that prohibits smoking everywhere". To be truthfull i would agree with that amendment , because thats just my opinion. If people want to harm their bodies by smoking let them do it, dont invade their freedoms unless they harm you doing it. And there are already laws in place that prevent other's from invading yours or harming you.

If I might say posting that by a 17 year old shows a level of maturity that [proves you shouldnt be locked up after some arbitrary time.