Surprisingly, very few people have spoken against the curfew imposed in St. Albans, West Virginia that is intended to keep youngsters off the streets and out of trouble after sun down. Well, technically the curfew gets imposed only between 11 pm and 6 am. Through the 7 hour interval, children who are below the age of 18 are not allowed to be out on their own without a good reason.
If they are found to be loitering about when the curfew starts their parents can be cited for it. Capt. James of the St. Albans Police Department explains the reason for the curfew by saying that many children are driven to delinquent behavior by summer boredom.
He clarified that the number of juvenile crimes which tend to spike during summer months are a clear indication of the fact that with all that free time on their hands, kids do tend to get up to no good. The move is meant to ensure kids clearly understand that delinquency will not be tolerated.
Another angle to the efforts is that it creates a sense of awareness among parents. James further added that parents are compelled to enforce the curfew even at home because they know they will be given a ticket if their kids are found outdoors without adult supervision.
St. Albans already has a low rate of juvenile delinquency and crimes, and according to the authorities who have implemented this rule, the new effort will help to ensure that the youngsters keep themselves out of trouble. While the curfew has been welcomed not only by parents but also by the children in St. Albans, similar regulations were frowned upon in other parts of the country.
In these areas, the curfew law was met with stiff opposition not only from the youngsters but also from parents who thought that law enforcement should not be involving itself in how people choose to bring up their children.