YOUNGSTOWN
With the school year coming to an end, police plan to crack down on minors — and their parents and guardians — for those violating the city’s curfew law.
Police Chief Rod Foley told city council’s safety committee members Thursday that he supports legislation, sponsored by Councilman John R. Swierz, D-7th, to increase the fines for those who break the city curfew.
“We also want to make sure the parents are held responsible,” Foley said.
The city law makes it a minor misdemeanor for children 17 years old and younger to be on streets and sidewalks between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The parents and guardians of those youths also can be charged.
The first offense would remain a minor misdemeanor under legislation sponsored by Swierz.
The second offense would also be a minor misdemeanor, but the mandatory fine would be $150. A typical fine currently is $25 to $50.
The third and subsequent offenses would be a fourth-degree misdemeanor, with violators facing a fine of up to $250.
“After three times, you’re going to get hit heavy,” Swierz said.
The curfew doesn’t apply to minors accompanied by their parent, guardian or adult made responsible for the child by a parent or guardian as well as to children who are outside because of an emergency or “legitimate business.”
Council is expected to consider the changes at its next meeting June 6.
Police officers haven’t been issuing enough citations to kids who break the city curfew, and “very seldom” charge parents or guardians, Foley said. But that’s going to change, he said.
“We don’t spend enough time with curfews,” Foley said. “We want our guys focusing on it between calls. We don’t want to see large groups of children. We see them in the summer going from one house party to another and fighting.”
That can escalate to kids with guns “shooting off a couple of rounds,” and other acts of violence, he said.
When asked if a person convicted of breaking the city curfew can’t afford the fine, Foley said, “We’ll set up a payment plan.”
Also Thursday, Foley said he expects by autumn to install surveillance cameras to monitor and deter criminal activity on West Federal Street and on the South Side, around Market Street and Auburndale Avenue.
The video cameras would be monitored at the police station. “It gives you a sense of security and it deters crime,” Foley said.
The safety committee also discussed installing traffic cameras in school zones that would fine motorists breaking speeding and other vehicular laws.
The plan, long discussed by city officials, is inching its way toward reality.
The city is advertising for vendors to install the traffic cameras with a deadline of next Thursday for proposals, said Anthony Donofrio, deputy law director.
Comments
We moved from Cleveland to Youngstown six years ago. Hughes was then chief of police. Hughes is Black and I am Black. Most of the crime was on the South Side where I live. I saw NOTHING possitive that Hughes did but be a PR man on TV. Mr Foley has been in office for less than a year and I am seeing results. Don't get me wrong, I support Black people in office that do their job, but to my people don't vote for a person because they are Black, vote for those who do their job. Ps., I will be voting for Mr. Obama, because he is doing the best he can with what he had to work with. I am glad that Hughes did not win the Sherrif position. Thank you Mr. Foley for trying to curb this violence in the city.
How about we drop this black/white b.s. and start thinking of our entire community and our nation? It is, however, nice to see some compliments to those who are working for us.
The Police should also ticket everyone who walks down the middle of the street when sidewalks are available and refuse to move over for cars to pass.
Folks that walk in the middle of the road, don't do it in front of the police! ! ! Use your bumper to convince them to get out of the way...
I HOPE this works. I only wish the laws were stricter.
And I hope it's not too little too late.
Pyroc I hear you,just for the heck of it what was their ethnicity? It is a cultural thing i guess in defiance. Just notice how they do not stop for stop signs or red lights either. I don't get it. On the curfew I'm all for it but heres a story on the last one: We live on the west side(at that time relatively low crime) my daughter played in band. The game ran over and on her way home in uniform she stopped at McD's (drive through) and was stopped by police,she informed them on way home from game but they made us come to the scene to get her. About an hour later wife and myself coming back from night out 2-young black youths cut right in front of us on Market street almost getting hit, and it just so happens YPD sitting at store on corner and witnessed also. When I (politely mind you) asked what about the curfew? We were told to get on my way or I would be arrested. Point: I hope they decide to enforce it where it counts and on who it needs to be enforced mainly on.
This is good ! We need to keep these young kids off the streets at night. And these parents need to be held accountable. To many young ones getting in trouble at night and their parents have no idea where they are or what they are doing. And most of the time it's "Not my kid" !! We hear that way to often now days !