Kids Out Late: Do You Support Hoboken's Youth Curfew?

Do you support Hoboken’s youth curfew law?

On Tuesday, Newark officials announced that police will be enforcing the city’s decades-old night curfew law for minors this summer.

Newark’s ordinance dates back to 1943, when World War II-era families commonly had unsupervised children due to the war. Since then, it’s been technically illegal for people under the age of 18 to be more than 100 yards from their homes between 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.

• See related article: Newark Is Enforcing Night Curfew For Minors

Hoboken has had a similar law on the books since 2006.

The ordinance reads:

“It shall be unlawful for any person under 18 years of age to be on or remain in or upon the public streets and public places within the City of Hoboken during the period ending at 5:00 a.m. and beginning -

• At 11:59 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights from September 15 through June 15.
• At 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday nights from September 15 through June 15.
• At 11:59 p.m. all nights from June 15 through September 15.

Exceptions are made when a minor is accompanied by a guardian, when on their parents’ property, while traveling to certain approved events and functions, or in event of an emergency.

Violators can be taken into police custody until released to a guardian. Fines range from $50 to $1,000 for repeat offenders, and community service is required.

See the full youth curfew ordinance for Hoboken here.

PROS AND CONS

Proponents of youth curfew laws say that the ordinances can help to reduce juvenile violence, gang activity and other types of crime.

But administrators with several North Jersey municipalities have begun to back away from the use of curfew laws, stating that such ordinances might be “constitutionally flawed.”

In 2001, a NJ Superior Court judge struck down West Orange’s youth curfew law when it came under fire from the local ACLU.

“It makes no sense to criminalize the innocent activities of numerous good kids, the proper response to juvenile crime is to arrest the criminals, not to place all law-abiding young people under house arrest,” stated J.C. Salyer, Staff Attorney of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey in response to the ruling.

“The police already have the ability to arrest juveniles when they break the law,” Salver added. “The curfew would have added nothing except giving police the right to arrest the innocent as well.”

Online comments have been divided on the merits of youth curfews in Essex County.

“If Baltimore can have a curfew, then why can’t South Orange have a curfew for teens?” one commenter wrote on MaplewoodOnline. “I personally very strongly feel a curfew will stop the hoards of teens coming into South Orange and taking it over on the weekends.”

“This would be another case of punishing the innocent (many of our home town teens) for the behavior of others,” responded another commenter.

File photo courtesy of LeoHidalgo

Do you think night curfews for minors are a good idea? Take the Patch reader poll below, and share the reason behind your vote in the comments section.