Brendan Perez
August 3rd, 2004, 04:55 AM
Link[url=http://www.jsonline.com/lifestyle/jump/jul04/245909.asp[/url]
They also mention NYRA and the ACLU.
'Their ineffectiveness is not the major reason groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union or the National Youth Rights Association object to youth curfews. Rather, the groups have concerns about constitutional implications.'
'Curfews can actually be a detriment to communities. Typically, government has sought ways to combat criminal behavior by punishing criminal behavior directly: There are laws against drinking and driving, illegal drug use, stealing and even loitering. One must question whether a need exists for youth curfews, a form of blanket discrimination punishing all, when the police have the power to remove just offending youth.
While youth curfew advocates say curfews reduce juvenile crime, the ordinances often make more youth offenders; the No. 1 youth citation in the country is for curfew violation.
An article in the Harvard Law Review adds, "arresting youth for acts that would not be crimes if committed by adults violates basic constitutional guarantees, leads to antagonism between non-criminal youth and law enforcement, and is an inefficient way to deter crime."
Because many of these curfew ordinances give law enforcement an unprecedented amount of power, many wonder about potential abuses of this power be it physical or along the lines of racial profiling.
Editor's note: After this article was written, the Mequon Common Council rejected the proposed curfew on a 6-1 vote.'
They also mention NYRA and the ACLU.
'Their ineffectiveness is not the major reason groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union or the National Youth Rights Association object to youth curfews. Rather, the groups have concerns about constitutional implications.'
'Curfews can actually be a detriment to communities. Typically, government has sought ways to combat criminal behavior by punishing criminal behavior directly: There are laws against drinking and driving, illegal drug use, stealing and even loitering. One must question whether a need exists for youth curfews, a form of blanket discrimination punishing all, when the police have the power to remove just offending youth.
While youth curfew advocates say curfews reduce juvenile crime, the ordinances often make more youth offenders; the No. 1 youth citation in the country is for curfew violation.
An article in the Harvard Law Review adds, "arresting youth for acts that would not be crimes if committed by adults violates basic constitutional guarantees, leads to antagonism between non-criminal youth and law enforcement, and is an inefficient way to deter crime."
Because many of these curfew ordinances give law enforcement an unprecedented amount of power, many wonder about potential abuses of this power be it physical or along the lines of racial profiling.
Editor's note: After this article was written, the Mequon Common Council rejected the proposed curfew on a 6-1 vote.'