Are Curfews Effective

Are Curfews Effective and Constitutional?

After being gone for several decades, juvenile curfews have reappeared in communities across the United States. Researchers estimate that nearly 75 percent of major American cities now enforce some form of a nocturnal curfew. A 2004 survey of 300 adult residents in San Diego revealed that 92 percent supported the city's juvenile curfew, 72 percent agreed that the curfew made them feel safer, and 87 percent believed that the curfew helped control crime. Curfews are effective to some extent and but are not constitutional.

A. Curfews-

1. Keep youth from being victimized

2. Good use of cops time

B. Efficiency-

1. Dropped youth crime rate by 20%

2. 15 percent of all arrests for violent juvenile crime during curfew

3. Crime peaks @3:00 and 6:00 before curfew takes place

4. Not effective

5. Not going to stop someone who is prepared to commit a crime

C. Constitutional-

1. Police enforce a law that specifies nothing more than appearance as probable cause for detainment

2. Color of skin reason to be stopped

3. Rights

i. the right to free speech and association

ii. the right to free movement

iii. the right to travel

iv. the right to free exercise of religion

D. Cities-

1. 33% reported problems in implementing their curfew

2. 17% said that curfews had no impact on gang-related activities

3. 12% said that curfews have no impact on street safety

4. 26% have a daytime curfew also

Curfews are somewhat effective and are not constitutional. They likely have the greatest impact on the activities of those youths who are least likely to commit crimes, and bar them from