NCJ Number
159573
Journal
Police Chief Dated: (December 1994) Pages: 33,35-36,57
Date Published
1994
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The Dallas police chief describes the Dallas experience with a juvenile curfew as a method of addressing the increasing rate of juvenile delinquency during a period when the overall crime rate in the city was declining.
Abstract
Drafted with constitutional issues in mind, the ordinance specified numerous exceptions to the curfew. It was enacted in June 1991, but the city council decided to delay enforcement until the courts ruled on a challenge. In November 1993, the ordinance was upheld in court. To address public concerns about uneven enforcement, the Dallas Police Department developed comprehensive procedures to ensure fair application of the ordinance and conducted extensive training and public education programs. Police officers were given four main enforcement options, depending on individual circumstances. They could warn and send children home, take them home, cite them to court, or arrest them. Overcrowding of juvenile detention facilities made arrest the option least desired by the police department. Enforcement began on May 1, 1994. Statistics from the first 3 months are extremely encouraging. Crimes against juveniles during curfew hours have dropped 17.7 percent from the same period the year before. Police officers report that they are contacting fewer children on the streets during curfew hours. The curfew has given police officers a new and effective tool for intervening in suspicious circumstances.