Local youth unaware of curfew
Nazo Burgy
Issue date: 2/9/05 Section: News
While many Lexington residents may not know it exists, the Lexington curfew law has been in effect for over 35 years. The law prohibits anyone under the age of 17 to be out after 11 p.m. any night of the week.
"I raised three children here and I didn't know about [the curfew]," said Lexington Mayor John Knapp.
According to the Lexington City Code, it is unlawful for a minor to be outside, wandering, strolling, playing or cruising in a car without a set destination between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. However, the curfew law does make exceptions for minors on an "emergency errand or specific business directed or permitted by his/her parent or guardian."
Lexington Police Chief Bruce Beard said that he believes the curfew helps keep kids off the street, especially during the summer when there is not much to do.
If a minor is found on the streets of Lexington between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., his parents will be charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor.
If the parents are found guilty of "encouraging, contributing, or causing" the violation of the curfew, the parents could receive a $1,000 fine and possibly six months in jail. If the curfew is broken a second time, the minor will then be put on juvenile probation. "It puts more responsibility on the parents to make sure their children's needs are met," said Beard.
Knapp said that curfew "reminds people there ought to be some standard." He also said that he believes the curfew is not restrictive in any sense.
"I believe [the curfew] is marginally successful," he said. "It provides a protective covenant."
According to Beard, there are less than 12 instances of curfew breaking a year.
One 17-year-old, a self-proclaimed insomniac, was caught walking around downtown Lexington last year at 3 a.m. Although his parents knew he was out, the minor was apprehended by Lexington police for breaking the curfew.
He said that he was unaware of the curfew and he sat in the police station for over an hour while he waited for his parents to pick him up. He was released to his parents and received only a warning.
He said that he still believes the curfew law is "stupid" because there is "no point to it except to give the police something to do."
"If kids are doing illegal things, they're not going to do it on the street," he said.
Kelly Evans, a sophomore from Lexington, said that when she was younger, she did not have much trouble with the curfew law.
"Nobody hangs out in Lexington past 9 or 10 unless they're going to see a movie," she said. "It was just annoying when we'd walk out of the movie theater after 11 p.m. and the cops would tell us to go home."
Evans said that she believes the curfew was put into place to cut down on loitering.
"A lot of sketchy kids would also hang out in the Spanky's parking lot, and the cops would usually come around and tell them to 'move it along,'" said Evans.
"I raised three children here and I didn't know about [the curfew]," said Lexington Mayor John Knapp.
According to the Lexington City Code, it is unlawful for a minor to be outside, wandering, strolling, playing or cruising in a car without a set destination between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. However, the curfew law does make exceptions for minors on an "emergency errand or specific business directed or permitted by his/her parent or guardian."
Lexington Police Chief Bruce Beard said that he believes the curfew helps keep kids off the street, especially during the summer when there is not much to do.
If a minor is found on the streets of Lexington between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., his parents will be charged with a Class 2 misdemeanor.
If the parents are found guilty of "encouraging, contributing, or causing" the violation of the curfew, the parents could receive a $1,000 fine and possibly six months in jail. If the curfew is broken a second time, the minor will then be put on juvenile probation. "It puts more responsibility on the parents to make sure their children's needs are met," said Beard.
Knapp said that curfew "reminds people there ought to be some standard." He also said that he believes the curfew is not restrictive in any sense.
"I believe [the curfew] is marginally successful," he said. "It provides a protective covenant."
According to Beard, there are less than 12 instances of curfew breaking a year.
One 17-year-old, a self-proclaimed insomniac, was caught walking around downtown Lexington last year at 3 a.m. Although his parents knew he was out, the minor was apprehended by Lexington police for breaking the curfew.
He said that he was unaware of the curfew and he sat in the police station for over an hour while he waited for his parents to pick him up. He was released to his parents and received only a warning.
He said that he still believes the curfew law is "stupid" because there is "no point to it except to give the police something to do."
"If kids are doing illegal things, they're not going to do it on the street," he said.
Kelly Evans, a sophomore from Lexington, said that when she was younger, she did not have much trouble with the curfew law.
"Nobody hangs out in Lexington past 9 or 10 unless they're going to see a movie," she said. "It was just annoying when we'd walk out of the movie theater after 11 p.m. and the cops would tell us to go home."
Evans said that she believes the curfew was put into place to cut down on loitering.
"A lot of sketchy kids would also hang out in the Spanky's parking lot, and the cops would usually come around and tell them to 'move it along,'" said Evans.