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lisa
Senior Member
143 Posts |
 Posted - 09/24/2006 : 08:41:57 AM
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EVERETT
Alderman proposes teen curfew
But problems seen with enforcing it
By Katheleen Conti, Globe Staff | September 24, 2006
In response to two recent shootings involving teenagers and an increase in gang activity, an Everett alderman has proposed an 11 p.m. curfew in some parts of the city for those younger than 16 .
Some city officials, however, are unconvinced the move will resolve the growing problem.
Ward 2 Alderman Jason Marcus is requesting that the city adopt an ordinance banning most juveniles from ``main drags," including Broadway, Ferry , and Main streets, after 11 p.m. The city's Rules and Ordinances Committee delayed discussing the matter until Marcus submitted a draft of the legislation.
``We've got a million kids , and I don't know where they came from," Marcus said. ``I'm concerned they don't have anywhere to go. There's nothing but trouble on the street corners."
If Everett adopts the curfew, it would join communities like Chelsea, Lynn, and Revere, which have had teenage curfew laws on their books for years. Increased policing responsibilities have prevented strict enforcement of these curfews, which is a predicament that Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie believes will also be a factor in the city if the ordinance passes.
``Juvenile problems are prevalent in any city like ours -- usual run-of-the-mill problems associated with alcohol, drug use, gang activity, graffiti, and vandalism issues," Mazzie said.
To have a curfew, though, he said, ``a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. . . . Our problems are not so bad that we need to keep every kid off the street."
Recently, the city has seen an increase of firearms on the streets, as well as gang-on-gang crime, Mazzie said, but ``it's not just related to juveniles.
``I think there are other steps and other things we should look at maybe before we go down this route."
But according to national trends, Marcus appears to have his finger on the pulse.
``We've seen instances nationally where communities are seeking to craft curfews for teens," said James B. Lampke , executive director of the City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association of Massachusetts . ``Towns usually implement these due to gang-related activity, fights, or groups of people assembling on street corners in such a way that interferes with public safety. . . . Quite often it will be a reaction to an unfortunate incident, gang-related, or violence."
Meg English , co chairwoman of Everett's Multicultural Affairs Commission , said she sometimes gets nervous when she leaves work late in the evenings and has to walk alone to her car, and she also tries to avoid walking on sidewalks where groups of teenage boys are gathered. But at the same time, she said , a curfew will not solve the real problem, which is that kids in Everett have nothing to do at night.
``I understand the fear, but I also know good, wonderful kids," she said, adding she thinks the curfew proposal is ``painting all kids with the same brush. They're not just going to disappear at 11.
She warns against a ``knee-jerk reaction," to problems. ``You can't do that. You have to analyze the problem. . . . The kids here need some kind of Y or youth center, some kind of place where they can congregate."
Marcus, who is writing draft legislation to present at the next committee meeting, said that a curfew is not a punishment for all Everett kids.
He said he agrees that part of the reason there are juvenile problems in the city is because there is nothing to do. Once construction is completed on the city's new high school building, he said, he would like to take steps to convert the current school building into a youth center.
``I think it would protect the kids," Marcus said. ``We don't really have a youth center or anything, so they're just hanging around. If they're out there, somehow trouble comes."
Ward 5 Alderman Robert J. Van Campen , who is a member of the Rules and Ordinances Committee, said he would like to involve other voices, such as those of the city's youth and parent organizations, before a vote is taken on the curfew ordinance, which he called ``a worthy effort."
``I don't want to send the message that in response to a recent shooting , we should go into lockdown with our juvenile youth population," Van Campen said. ``The Police Department is overworked to begin with , and adding another law for them to enforce without the proper manpower would almost be a hollow outcome."
Chelsea Police Captain Brian Kyes said the city's juvenile curfew law ``can be helpful" in certain instances. Chelsea has had a juvenile curfew law since 1952 that was amended 10 years ago banning anyone 17 and younger from being out between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
``We don't run around checking ID and scooping kids up," Kyes said. ``If we're being proactive and we're out and observe a group of young individuals of a certain age, and they're hanging around in a high-crime neighborhood, we can tell them to move it along, and if they're under 17 we can take them home to their parent. But if the kid is a general troublemaker, this is a tool and an enforcement option that we have. . . . We can legally take them into custody."
Mazzie said the city already has a 9 p.m. curfew on city parks, which police enforce more leniently during the spring and summer months when children are more apt to stay out playing later.
A citywide curfew, he said, ``may make kids rebel." The chief said he has a lot of questions regarding the ordinance request, including whether a violation would be a criminal or non criminal offense.
John Reinstein , legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said that the ACLU has challenged juvenile curfew laws nationwide, though none in Massachusetts.
``It's a combination of what the kids and their parents have a right to do, especially where kids should be at night," Reinstein said. ``There are kids who work late and do a whole variety of things on the weekends , as well as on school nights."
Lampke said that successful juvenile curfews, like the one in Washington, D.C., provide exemptions, such as for emergencies or religious reasons. Such ordinances, he said, ``have to be clear, and people have to be able to understand them."
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lisa
Senior Member
143 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2006 : 08:43:04 AM
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Michael
I put this under the wrong topic If you come out here please move it to the General Catagory. |
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richie
Senior Member
139 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2006 : 11:36:02 AM
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Lisa you put this in the wrong place but if you are looking for feedback I agree with this but, here it comes....
ENFORCEMENT ENFORCEMENT ENFORCEMENT they can't enforce overnite parking do you think they will do this |
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WICKED PISSA
Senior Member
115 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2006 : 12:34:18 PM
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| This isn't a serious suggestion. Marcus is playing to the citizens, with no intention of actually y fighting for this idea or following it through, to appease their concerns, and hasn't the intelligence nor the savvy to actually put forth an honest and comprehensive solution. He throws these ideas out there with little research or presenting a feasible solution. He'll shake things up get everyone riled, and walk away. Watch him put this in his reelection literature. What a dink. |
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Eyeontheball
Member
52 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2006 : 12:58:50 PM
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| And watch Marcus win....not because he's such a stellar candidate in reality, but because he's an incumbent and they know his name. |
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WICKED PISSA
Senior Member
115 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2006 : 1:28:47 PM
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| right-on. That applies to 2/3 of all the elected officials. |
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EverettsPride
Advanced Member
1140 Posts |
 Posted - 09/24/2006 : 7:56:12 PM
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They can make all the ordinanaces they want. The question is, how much can we expect the police to do? I listen to the police scanner and I cannot believe all of the calls they go on. Tell me why people call for loud music at 5pm or for kids walking home from the football game 50 times!! The cops have enough to do without babysitting our kids. A curfew will do nothing for this city except for adding 50 calls a night to the police for a kid walking by someones house after 11pm. I will take care of my own kids thank you very much Jason.
Sally |
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theodore rex
Member
45 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2006 : 9:30:45 PM
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| People who shoot other people dont tend to care about curfews. |
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EverettsPride
Advanced Member
1140 Posts |
 Posted - 09/25/2006 : 12:20:31 AM
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Exactly! And the people involved in the shootings were adults not kids. And by the way the landlord at that Ferry Street house has told the police he does not want anyone hanging out on his property and asked them to move them along if they see anything. So I guess he was not a slumlord after all. He just was not aware of what was going on there. And evicting people is not an easy thing to do these days.
Sally |
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Paul
Senior Member
158 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2006 : 2:50:55 PM
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SALLY---If the Police keep a log of how many times and for what reasons they have been called to that house on Ferry St. then it won't be that hard to evict them !!
Other options open are-- If they have a lease then boot them out when the lease is up and if they don't have a lease go up on their rent !!! |
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Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2006 : 4:26:55 PM
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| They can make as many pieces of feel good legislation as they want; without enforcement, it's nothing but a shell game. I get very little enforcement of the residential parking sticker ordinance or on-street parking for large trucks. |
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bbpolitical
Forum Admin
265 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2006 : 10:46:54 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Court4Fred
They can make as many pieces of feel good legislation as they want; without enforcement, it's nothing but a shell game. I get very little enforcement of the residential parking sticker ordinance or on-street parking for large trucks.
I just moved this to the correct place (sorry for the delay)
So has anything come of this? Where I grew up there were signs posted at every town entrance that notified all comers of the curfew and the times it was in force. I haven't seen that here. So how do we know if it is in force or not. I am calling my alderman to find out.
Michael
I am an average resident of Everett who would like to see more communication about anything and everything to do with Everett |
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bbpolitical
Forum Admin
265 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2006 : 5:37:24 PM
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I spoke to Jason Marcus who told me today that this curfew is currently on the table and that Chief Mazzie is coming to the meeting Novemebr 9th to give his input. We both agree that a curfew is reasonable, especially since all of the other towns have it.
Personally, I can't understand people thinking that the lack of a youth center or Y means that kids shouldn't have to be home at 11PM. It is ridiculous that such a rule doesn't already exist.
Michael
I am an average resident of Everett who would like to see more communication about anything and everything to do with Everett |
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bbpolitical
Forum Admin
265 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2006 : 6:44:58 PM
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The BOA meeting minutes included the following entry concerning this issue. I am interesting in attending the next Rules and Ordinances meeting to hear what Chief Mazzie has to say on this matter.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
13.
A0402-06 Resolution/s/Alderman Jason Marcus
Rules & Ordinances Committee Report
That the Rules and Ordinances Committee establish an ordinance that children under the age of 16 not be allowed on main drags after 11:00 p.m. in the evening; with a recommendation to grant further time and to invite the Police Chief to the next Rules & Ordinances Committee meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORT ACCEPTED, FURTHER TIME GRANTED
I am an average resident of Everett who would like to see more communication about anything and everything to do with Everett |
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Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2006 : 10:13:04 PM
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| Ok, but doesn't it seem bizarre that children shouldn't be allowed on main drags after 11? So, kids can't get into trouble on sidestreets? |
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bbpolitical
Forum Admin
265 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2006 : 1:09:29 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Court4Fred
Ok, but doesn't it seem bizarre that children shouldn't be allowed on main drags after 11? So, kids can't get into trouble on sidestreets?
I think it is a question of enforcement. How are the police going to enforce all of the sidestreets?
I am an average resident of Everett who would like to see more communication about anything and everything to do with Everett |
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Teen Curfew
