Enforcement is key with curfew
San Benito County and Hollister officials are wise to cooperate
on a new curfew law in an attempt to curb delinquent activity, but
the key to any success will come with the level of enforcement.
In light of a 14-year-old girl’s shooting death earlier this
year while out with friends in early-morning hours, county
supervisors and Hollister council members appear ready to work
together in addressing the root of the problem
– juveniles out late for no good reason who aren’t held
accountable by law enforcement agencies or their parents.
Enforcement is key with curfew
San Benito County and Hollister officials are wise to cooperate on a new curfew law in an attempt to curb delinquent activity, but the key to any success will come with the level of enforcement.
In light of a 14-year-old girl’s shooting death earlier this year while out with friends in early-morning hours, county supervisors and Hollister council members appear ready to work together in addressing the root of the problem – juveniles out late for no good reason who aren’t held accountable by law enforcement agencies or their parents.
Officials with both governments have been meeting about formulating a universal law for the city and county.
From a practical perspective, it makes sense to have consistent laws on the curfew whether crime levels are up or down.
The two municipalities’ coverage for crime is separated by geographic borders, but not much else. Those borders, meanwhile, zigzag and crisscross all over the place, so sometimes it can be confusing whether you’re even in city or county jurisdiction.
Currently, the county and city both have laws on the books declaring 10 p.m. as the curfew, except during summer when it’s 11 p.m. But the city police department is the only one that tends to enforce it – and not often, just 60 citations in the past three years – because there is no teeth to the county ordinance. In fact, there is no penalty listed in the code. How do you put fear into anyone’s head without a penalty? What is the point of a law without consequences?
Clearly, this new initiative wouldn’t be necessary if every parent acted responsibly, if every parent had his or her child’s safety at the top of mind. The fact is that every parent doesn’t take the responsibility as seriously as others do. That opens up the floodgates for children to take advantage of lax parents and find their way into lives of delinquency and, quite likely, crime as well.
This is where the curfew can step in. If the local law enforcement agencies can succeed in enforcing the violations in mass numbers, it would send a resounding message to at-risk youths that they can, and eventually will, be held accountable for causing trouble. It potentially can target at-risk juveniles before they head too far down the wrong path.
Of course, agencies should continue using discretion for cases in which minors are in transit from organized activities, and we expect they will, no matter how the recent initiative pans out.
Leaders are heading down the right track in setting a tone, in giving direction and allowing officers to do their jobs. Once a program and new rules are in place, it will be up to local law enforcement to ensure that children and their parents understand consequences of breaking the law.