A spike in city crime has taken center stage in state and federal legislative races. The full City Council in August could be voting on a proposed curfew that would ban youths 17 and under from a variety of public places without a parent or legal guardian between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and midnight and 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday. In light of state officials recently defining a minor as under the age of 18, some council members want the curfew to include anyone 17 and under. If the Council approves the curfew it could be challenged in court by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The proposed curfew has been working its way through the city’s legislative body following the reaction to the shooting death of 14-year-old Justin Thompson in January. Our friends at www.doingitlocal.com share this interview clip with Police Chief Joe Gaudett and Mayor Bill Finch about the curfew’s role in law enforcement. Do you support the curfew?
Sure I support the curfew–I’m eighteen.
*** Curfew for age 17 and under is just fine, even if it’s just on weekends to start when most of the violence seems to happen. However, as an 18 year old you can join the military, vote and in some States buy booze legally, so 18 year olds should “not” be included on the curfew. The city has to start “something,” fast before the new year 2013. And since it’s “elections time” voters and their community leaders need to become much more vocal on putting pressure on politicians and law enforcement to team up and get something done! First place to start is combine the community relations dept Daniels led, for info with the small understaffed gangs unit. The State and City P/Ds can gather much info on how other cities that have curfews started and run their operations and also team up with corrections that seems to have lots of knowledge about gangs in general (outside and inside the joint). For it to work, it must be a united team effort by law enforcement and the courts! First base could be with the City-Council who’s up at bat this August to get things started! Will they be aggressive towards their vote or merely walk for another month? As JML would say, only with a lot more words, “time will tell!” *** HERE WE GO! ***
A “curfew,” what a joke. Now we will have our police officers being “baby sitters.” The City only has 21 patrol cars on duty at any one time, so they pickup a teenager who is underage and now the police officer is busy and cannot respond to a more serious call because they are “baby sitting” and doing paperwork. Get a “gang task force” together instead of this feel-good policy.
I think enforcing a curfew will take whatever skimpy police resources we already have and diminish whatever effectiveness they can claim. The one who killed that Vietnamese restaurant owner over the weekend was not a 15 year old. Maybe this guy would still be alive if there was a visible police presence in all high-crime areas all the time.
The answer is not a curfew, it is ‘effective’ police presence in numbers larger than we have now.
POLICE … TAKE NOTICE.
You know what is sad about the way the hapless City of Bridgeport does things? The recent ‘SPIKE’ in crime DID NOT result in a ‘spike’ in the number of police officers patrolling the streets.
I support the curfew. The need for a curfew is linked to the education issue in that both are a result of awful parenting. If these parents are too dumb to keep their own kids off the street, the nanny government is going to have to do it.
I expect the council to pass the feel-good law pertaining to curfews for those 17 and under. Here we go again not holding parents responsible for their children. There will be a fine. What happens when the fine is not paid?
The police officers will counsel the kids they pick up. Sure, after getting a ration of bullshit from these kids the cop is going to counsel them. Yeah right.
The only people getting hurt here are the 99% of law-abiding citizens who will get less police protection than they are now receiving.
I feel sorry for the street cop who is already overworked and will now have to play Mother Teresa to kids who don’t give a shit.
*** If you look at all the probable possibilities this curfew (undermanned or not) gives the P/D when stopping and asking for ID you would see it could lead to finding and stopping crime in general before it happens. Example: A group of young-looking guys hanging out in a known gang activity area get stopped and asked for ID because they look young enough to fit the curfew time limit. They’re not 17 or younger but one is seen throwing something behind some bushes before being approached. That something was a gun! Another thug amd gun taken off the street due to the youth curfew that’s been called a joke! It’s not a time for maybes or dreamed-of increased numbers in officer visibility. It’s time to work with what you have locally with help from the State and court system and get busy! *** ACTION ***
I completely support the concept of this curfew for kids 17 and under. I don’t see any positive reason for a 17 year old to be out after midnight without his/her parents. These are clearly the hours when most of the city’s violence is taking place and whether or not the kids are the cause they have certainly been the victims enough times to warrant such measures. That being said; the only way I can see this being effective is if the support of at least one additional officer on duty to be assigned the specific task of enforcing the curfew is made available. Secondly and more importantly the parents of the children caught out after hours must be made accountable. I think we can all agree teens do not recognize consequences as adults do, however if you hit their parents’ pocket I’m certain they will be more inclined to be aware of their child’s whereabouts. The truth of the matter is prevention starts at home. I hope this initiative makes it through the City Council (even though it is already on the Charter) and our city makes the resources needed to enforce it available.
P.S. I agree with part of what Ron said about strengthening the city’s Gang Task Force. It’s crazy to turn a blind eye to a growing problem. Whether we want to admit it or not they are coming back, maybe if the PD comes down hard on it early we can avoid reliving the problems of yesteryear.
Where is the manpower for the police department coming from, there are only 21 patrol cars on duty for each shift; plus how much in overtime will this cost?
*** On manpower, where’s the manpower for the swat team, scuba team, TNT, etc.? When it comes to O/T for getting more guns off the streets and; possibly saving lives and sending a message to gangs, money should not be an issue! Plenty of O/T is spent on less important things. Bloggers complain about the city not stepping up and doing something then complain about the overtime or manpower to do it with, go figure. Also, parenting may come into play in some situations but many of these kids have no stable adults at home to guide them for school let alone anything else in life. *** It is what it is and it’s not pretty; time for action! ***
*** NEWS FLASH! New set of “curfew tools” for Bpt P/D’s tool box expected before Xmas! No, they’re not from SEARS! *** ACTION ***