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Leaders Discuss Countywide Youth Curfew
November 15, 2011
A Pensacola city councilman is pushing for a countywide curfew for youth.
Councilman John Jerralds wants his council and the Escambia County Commission to limit the time periods in which teens can be out without adult supervision. He is advocating a curfew modeled after the one currently in place in Jacksonville that restricts any unmarried person under the age of 18 from being on the streets between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. weekdays or 6 a.m. on the weekend or holidays unless they are with a parent or guardian.
There are several exceptions in the ordinance, including teens on their way to or from work; a church, school or other organization and other events. Both the youth curfew violator and their parents can receive civil citations for violating the Jacksonville law.
On Monday, city and county leaders — including Pensacola council members, Escambia Sheriff David Morgan, Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons, Escambia County Schools Deputy Superintendent Norm Ross and Escambia County Administrator Randy Oliver — discussed Jerrald’s curfew at a Pensacola meeting. There were no decisions made at the meeting; there will be more discussions scheduled before the Pensacola City Council or Escambia Commission consider the idea.
To read the entire Jacksonville youth curfew ordinance, click here.
Comments
33 Responses to “Leaders Discuss Countywide Youth Curfew”
53% asked “can you guess which faction has my support?”
From the way you are speaking so arrogantly to everyone on this forum, it is not clear which side you support. Are you one who thinks the little darlings can’t do anything wrong and shouldn’t be restricted for the actions of others? Are you one who thinks every young person out late past an arbitrarily determined time is up to no good? Go ahead…tell us.
53% also asked “Are you really that crazy or do you just sound like you are?” am not crazy (because I don’t have papers). However, if desiring a life like the founders of our country, who wanted individual liberty and to deny governments the right to interfere and run our lives is crazy…so be it.
I prefer a limited government that knows its place. I do not agree with a curfew. I agree with punishing those who break the law-juvenile and adult. I do not agree with a government that tries to run every facet of our lives. I am for individual responsibility; whether that individual is an adult or a juvenile.
And, finally, 53% told me “SW: break away and form your own government based on your perceived superior values and culture?” Political entities, i.e., cities, counties, states, and nations are founded by like-minded people who think their lifestyle, culture, morals, and values are superior to those whom they break away from; even neighborhoods generally reflect this attitude. Why would it be such a big deal of the people of certain parts of cities, counties, or states decided to break away and create a place that more embraced their ideals?
I think its a great idea to have a curfew for teens. I work graveyard and if some of these parents seen What their kids were doing in these hours, they’d agree also. I believe a lot of lives would be saved, unlike my 16 year old cousin who was murdered last year.
Roaming around creating mayhem.
“…what constructive activity”?
“…teens out roaming…”?
It’s very interesting how the words people choose can paint such a clear and unflattering picture of them!
Tell me now, what constructive activity can a person under the age of 18 engage in after 11pm? That was the question my Father asked me each time I asked to
stay out past 11pm. I couldn’t answer him then and now I’ve had 40yrs. to think
on it and I still can’t think of a thing to justify teens out roaming late at night.
If for no other reason, they would be much more safe at home in their own bed than out possibly being tempted to do something they, and their family, will regret
for a long time to come.
Think about It.
53%,
If you want to have a debate, I’m there.
If you want to call names, I’m not.
REGARDING:
“It does affect what goes on inside my home, when I make the choice to allow my responsible child to attend events that may be past a “curfew.” It’s the states subtle way of infiltrating my choices, that I make for my children.”
Nope, it has no effect on what goes on inside your home. It only affects what happens when you or your children leave your home.
Again, I’m not saying it is a good idea or a bad one, just not in your home.
David for clarity
FYI @The 53%
I have 5 children ages 17, 16, 9,8, and 6. My 17 year old has to be in the house no later than 10:30 unless he is accompanied by his girlfriend’s parents or ourselves. Same goes for my 16 year old…. So I’m not sure where you got your facts about who supports what. I support this because a lot of parents don’t know where their kids are, and don’t really care. I would rather group them all under a curfew then have the juvenile delinquents terrorize the city. I understand you said “most people of older age age”, but most people understand that sometimes these rules need to be enforced for the well being of the majority.
I think it’s a good thing. Even with a large family of 5 kids, I would support this fully!!
SW: break away and form your own government based on your perceived superior values and culture?
Are you really that crazy or do you just sound like you are?
There are two factions here: people who support this curfew and people who don’t.
The people who support this curfew would rather penalize ALL kids for the transgressions of the relative few. They are quick to lump ALL kids into “vagrant” group. Most of these people are probably older and don’t have school age children. They view all teens as a threat to civil obedience.
The people that don’t support this are people whose children are well-behaved and respectful (ie, the majority of them), and wonder why THEIR kids should be restricted when they are not a problem and never will be.
Can you guess which faction has my support?
I think this is excellent! If you can’t police up your own children then someone else may have to, for other people’s safety.
REGARDING:
“For good or ill, it doesn’t apply to what goes on inside your house. It only applies to what goes on outside your house in public areas.”
It does affect what goes on inside my home, when I make the choice to allow my responsible child to attend events that may be past a “curfew.” It’s the states subtle way of infiltrating my choices, that I make for my children.
Besides we already have something in place for “problem kids” it’s called juvenile detention centers… How about we use that more, instead of slapping kids on the wrist for doing crimes… Crimes that must be SO bad that we enforce a curfew on EVERY child in the county. Murders happen everyday by adults, are we going to impose martial law? Look out… it my happen if we keep giving in and justifying everything the state does with cop-outs.
Next we’ll outlaw dancing and Kevin Bacon will show up for the town meeting in protest!
Molino-Anon
for the State staying out of my Business.
REGARDING:
“What this is, is the state putting its nose where it doesn’t belong, inside my house, telling me what/when/where my children can be. ”
For good or ill, it doesn’t apply to what goes on inside your house. It only applies to what goes on outside your house in public areas.
Now, if it told you they had to be in bed with their teeth brushed by 8 P.M., that would be another story.
David for perfect children
and parents
I think its a cop-out to blame the parents, some kids are just gonna do what they want to do… Just like with a curfew… do you think that will keep rebellious kids at home? NO!
What this is, is the state putting its nose where it doesn’t belong, inside my house, telling me what/when/where my children can be. This is just one more thing leading to a TOTALITARIAN country.
Nanny state
Something needs to be done with these Monsters.
I think the curfew would be great, reduces the risk of young kids being out on the road with the drunk drivers at 2 and 3 am !
John Jerralds and the council needs to govern with the laws that are already in place. Stop making government more powerful. The Police can stop anyone and put them in jail for just about anything now!!. The children who are into crime wont stay home anyway even if there were a law. Guess this will make their job alot more easy to just take everyone to jail and ask questions later?
What has our community came to that we make laws that put our children at risk of having a record for just going to walmart for cough medicine in the middle of the night!!! Wake up People!!! Stop giving these people so much power!
I don’t really see how any county or government can tell me or any person that they have to be home by 11 or any other time. This is supposed to be a FREE country. What’s next, adults have to be home by a certain time too. I think some people get a little power in thier hands and they think they can tell everybody what to do. If a teenager is on the streets after a certain time that’s the problem of the parents and if they don’t want to deal with them well that’s what the sheriffs office is paid for.
There are a lot of parents that need a curfew as well. The kids that get in trouble normally learn everything from the parents or adults in thier life.
John Jerralds and the governing county body needs to “stand down” on this, there is no way if a youth is out and about that they can prove that they are going to work, church or wherever. I know this is still under discussion, but, if passed, wouldn’t this violate some sort of civil rights?
Isn’t there bigger issues in our county to deal with?
@SW – Drivers License laws only cover the child’s ability to drive after certain hours.
I don’t think the curfew has anything to do with MOST of the kids north of Kingsfield road. I personally think it’s mostly to do with southern Escambia County and the rag-a-muffins that don’t even have a drivers license.
On any given Wednesday night after 10pm you should take a drive through Brownsville, Warrington or Myrtle Grove. There’s 13, 14, and 15 year old kids running the streets. Standing in the roadways and doing nothing other than showing “presence”.
If all parents could honestly say they monitored their children as strictly as most North Escambia parents “claim” to do, we wouldn’t need those laws.
Makes one think when you are concerned with someone like government telling you what you can do and not do. Parents should be supporting a curfew and not concerned with the cost or who is telling the kids to be home. IF you can’t police your own children and obviously your not a curfew would never come up.
A curfew would be great because its proven to reduce juvenile crime. The questions I have is who’s going to pay for its operation. It would mean using deputies (of whom we dont have enough on the street) to go after the juveniles and be tied up for long times waiting on parents to come pick up kids. It an infraction with community service for the kids and parenting classes for the offenders parents. Who will be administering those programs at I’m sure costs to us? If the offenders dont comply then what? Provisions should be made as on drivers licenses for kids working and going to events or with parental approval. Sheriff Morgan is using funds to clean up trash in the neighborhoods maybe he can find more taxpayer monies to pay for this program instead of fighting real crime issues. If kids are doing wrong arrest them and let the courts deal with them. If not doing wrong leave them alone.
Maybe the teens should have a curfew. No one under the age of 18 should be out past 11 pm, especially during the week day when they have school the next day. If the parents can’t keep them in maybe the law can.
Maybe it is time for citizens of the northern areas of Escambia county to consider breaking away and forming our own government? Apparently, our values and culture is different from those of residents of other parts of the county.
I know this sounds like big government trying to run our lives again, but I do wish something would be done about these teens that are out on the street for nothing. I mean the parents need to take charge. God forbid if something were to happen, it would be too late then parents.
Parents take control, not big government!
I raised my kids to know right from wrong. At some point they have to learn responsibility.And as a parent I should know if my kids have a reason to be out late .If my 16 y/o son wants to stay out all night long at the river and catfish and camp w/ his friends,then thats what he’s going to do.No government is going to raise my child or tell me how.If he says he’s going fishing and don’t and gets caught doing something wrong,then he will have to take resposibility,because he’s been taught so.
Every one around here goes hunting at 4am to go get in the stand really when you turn 16 what are they going to do when they get while your heading to your stand?? I think this shouldnt happen at all it should be up to the parents!
Because the kids who like to break the law are going to abide by this one… riiiiight.
im wondering if the mobile youth curfew is the same as the jacksonville one…but, id like to know how effective the curfew laws in those cities have been…if it has made a significant decrease in juvenile crime, then maybe its worth trying here.
Yes, it is the parent’s job to monitor their children – but as demonstrated in numerous recent criminal events, they don’t do a very good job of it.
I am all for the curfew, except the 6am on weekends. My neighborhood kids are out on the river or fishing bridge by then.
Maybe the city councilman should be more concerned with city business than with county business; or run for county commissioner.
Don’t driver’s license restrictions pretty much address this?
While many young folks probably have no business out that late, are we really going to tie up law enforcement chasing kids around rather than attending to more serious business? If these young folks get into no good, they’ll deal with the law; otherwise, are we just turning them into ‘criminals’?
I’m thinking it’s the job of the parent to supervise their children; although, many shirk that responsibility, that is true. That being said, do we really want our governments to continue to emulate a nanny state?