Houston teens officially have new curfew
May 10th, 2007Well, it’s official now - Houston teens 17 and under now have to be off the streets by 11pm at the latest. If you’re regular here at Clutch City Daily, you’ll remember me writing about this a week or so ago.
I have to say that I lean more to the opposing side of this new law because I don’t believe it’ll help reduce incidents and what not. Honestly, stuff’s gonna happen and kids are going to be out late. This energy and effort should, in my opinion, be put into increased patrol and dispersion of knowledge to youths about gang consequences, etc.
What are your thoughts on this? I’m particularly interested in hearing what parents have to say about the city. Keep in mind that there have been children picked up for curfew violation because they were biking to school early in the morning. This could possibly get out of hand (?) Perhaps the solution is more exceptions written into this law.
Nights got a little shorter for most teenagers following changes to the city’s curfew passed Wednesday.
Children under 17 must be off the streets by 11 p.m. on weeknights instead of the previous midnight rule, under revisions to the curfew ordinance approved by the City Council. It takes effect immediately.
“On school nights, you should be at home asleep and doing your schoolwork,” said Mayor Bill White. “Unless you’re working or working on some sort of school project, you don’t need to be running around on the streets after 11 o’clock.”
The ordinance includes existing exceptions for teenagers who are accompanied by a parent, traveling to work, participating in events sponsored by a school, government, church group or sports organization, or involved in an emergency.
All others now are prohibited from being on the streets after 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends, including during summer months when school is not in session.
The previous curfew had been in place since 1991 and applied to children under 18, setting the deadline at midnight every night.
The midnight curfew still stands on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as on the eve of holidays.Several parents said they support the new rules, though most said they preferred the law also apply to 17-year-olds.
“I think it’s awesome that they’re getting strict on these kids,” said Jody Wilding, a Meyerland resident who has a 16-year-old son. “They have no business being out at 11 o’clock on a school night, I don’t care how old they are.”
The city’s curfew ordinance includes daytime restrictions when school is in session, requiring children under 17 to be off the streets from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The council made no changes to that rule.
Council members debated the issue for 40 minutes during Wednesday’s meeting before the panel approved the new limits 11-3. Ada Edwards, Addie Wiseman and Michael Berry voted against the measure.
We have now taken over the role of parents,” Berry said. “When we make it a crime to be outside your home, and not breach the peace, I have a big problem with that.” - chron.com
June 28th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
I think that the whole idea of having teenagers, 13+, off of the streets before 12 is a RIDICULOUS idea. I think that it’s up to the parents to make the curfew like the old days. Yes i understand there are a lot of incidents and dangers lurking around and what not but that does not mean that you should have to be off the streets by 12. I mean, whats the big difference from 11 or 12? or 12 to 1? If kids are going to make bad decisions and stupid choices to cause themself to be in trouble or whatever around 12, thats THEIR fault. Most likely, they will learn from it. Also i think it’s not fair AND not right to do that to kids who haven’t done anything wrong in the first place, or have no intentions of doing anything wrong in the future. This shouldn’t be something the city has to decide, it should be for the parents. We already have enough laws as it is. If the city thinks that keeping kids off the street before 12 is going to solve A LOT… umm yeah, probably not going to happen. Most kids disobey or break the law. Also, many kids do NOT know about this “new CURFEW” going around… how about getting it out on the news and making full out proof to where it’s pretty darn noticable. I have a stronge opinion and i think that this is not fair. If the city thinks it’s only right then go right ahead, not like i can do anything about it. But i wish that they would get more views from teens and parents and stuff before they made it become a full out decision.
Thank You,
Anonymous64
September 17th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
How do parent find out about this information? Do we have to inquire about it or will school supply us with this information? MY son was issue a ticket for be off campus for lunch today, which he is in 12th grade and he is enroll in program where get on school at 11:00am from school, he has just moved from a new district, into HISD and was not given code conduct booklet, since seconda day of school when he able to attend.
Thank you,
Eulonda Killebrew
September 28th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
The kind of kids that the curfew is trying to prevent from engaging in “gang violence” are the kind of kids that don’t care about breaking curfew.
It should be up to the parents, and that kind of parenting starts younger than the teen years.
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Darla…
this doesn’t say anything about “gang violence”
dumbarse!
December 12th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
this is bullshit the first thing to go through a typical teenagers mind is to disobey authority reguardless of wether theyre in a gang or not. the parents these days cant find the strength to let kids learn from their mistakes. if a kid is loitering at a drugstore and is stabbed by a feak incident he/she will probably learn from it. I woul dhop it wouldnt come to that but still. my family tellsme nothing good happens after midnight. it may be true but the teenage mind tells me that there must be something too good for me, or just to go anyway.
kids will learn from mistakes but not untill they make them
April 15th, 2008 at 10:59 am
i dont understand. does this new law include 17 year olds or just 16 AND under?
p.s. this is bullshit.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
fuck the po pos nigga
May 15th, 2008 at 12:39 am
THIS IS THE MOST STUPIDEST RULE EVER.
I THINK THAT ONE WEEKENDS TEENAGERS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE OUT AT MIDNIGHT. THEY DO LIKE TO HAVE FUN TOO. JUST LIKE THE REST OF US.
NO POINT IN TRYING TO SPOIL IT, THE MORE WE TELL THEM NOT TO WE ALL KNOW THEY WILL TRY TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BREAK THOSE RULES OR NONSENSE. THEY ARE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY WANT RATHER NOT WE LIKE IT. MINUS WELL LET THEM DO IT AS LONG AS ITS NOT BOTHERING OTHERS.
THE WEEKEND IS THE TIME FOR THEM TO RELAX AND HAVE FUN WITH THEIR FRIENDS. NOT TRAP THEM IN THE HOUSE ALL NIGHT.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
You make all tenages sound the same disobident and mischivious not all tenagers are that way, They arnt all going to go and loiter or go party at some club some are more responsable than that. It sould be the childs and thier gardians decision wether or not they should go out past a certain time or not, the goverment has no right to decide what time these kids should go out it is not a decision that should be made by the goverment.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:29 am
HEY YOU GUYS SHOULD REALLY CHECK YOU FACTS BECAUSE YOU PUBLISHED THE WRONG CURFEW TIME ITS NOT 11 PM ITS REALLY AT 9 PM! IF I WOULD HAVE GOT ARRESTED FOR BEING OUT PAST CURFEW I WOULD HAVE BLAMED YOU GUYS! SO JUST PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT!!!
LACP .:*:.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:15 am
F-amazing, how easily people surrender their liberties, and consent to have the liberties of others deprived (eg, 1933 Berlin)
F-Bill White in the Arse - HIS dumb ass has no reason to be out after eleven, but if he wants to f. or get drunk at the bars, HE has a right. F- HIM, I SAY!
Bill White is not my F-ing DAD. Any curfew by the state on any population (including the young) is an outrageous, intolerable violation, sure to lead to serious problems, including stupid dead pig-face policemen infringing on others basic human rights.
WHY DO YOU PEOPLE ACCEPT A POLICE STATE? DO YOU REALLY NEED THE PIGS TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO?