The City’s Daytime Juvenile Curfew Goes into Effect as Students Return From Holiday Break
Dec 28th, 2011
Beginning Tuesday, January 3, Mobile Police will begin enforcing the Daytime Version of the city’s new Juvenile Curfew, which targets teens 17-years-old and under.
Mayor Sam Jones, who recommended the curfew, said, “Everyone must do their part to ensure the safety of our children and the community. This curfew is not about arresting children, but about parental accountability, a change in behavior and a sincere desire to see youngsters live a long and prosperous life.”
The Daytime Curfew is in effect during the hours of 9:00 a.m. through 2:30 p.m.
* The citywide nighttime curfew went into effect on November 1, 2011 during weekdays, from 11:00 p.m. through 6:00 a.m.; and 12:01 p.m. through 6:00 a.m. on weekends.
* In the downtown entertainment district, the curfew hours are 10:00 p.m. through 5:00 a.m.
Mayor Jones notes the success of the Night Time/Downtown curfew – which has yielded only four juveniles being taken to the Curfew Assessment Center, located at the corner of St. Anthony and Broad streets – from implementation date through December 7.
* 12 juveniles were released to parent/guardian;
* 11 juveniles were released to a responsible adult.
“Since the night time curfew went into effect, we have seen fewer incidents in downtown involving juveniles and the number of juveniles taken to the Assessment Center has been minimum,” Jones added
At the onset of the Night Time curfew, the police issued warnings to juveniles. Mobile Police Chief Micheal Williams said officers will have the same discretion during the daytime curfew depending on the situation.
“However, we urge parents and students to adhere to the terms of the daytime curfew,” the chief said. “The curfew is designed to keep students in school.”
The city’s Juvenile Curfew and the Assessment Center are not intended to arrest or jail juveniles. The Assessment Center is a holding facility until parents or a responsible adult can be reached. If additional services are needed, the center which is ran by the Police Department Intervention Team, is linked the Mobile County Public School System, Department of Human Resources, Strickland Youth Center and other social services organizations.