Does Curfew Deter or Prevent Juvenile Crime

Breaking news: “ A local teen killed along the emergency side of the interstate late last night” according to Fox 2 news. The body of this 16 year old happens to be a child that has been out past curfew hours. According to the mom, she was a runaway child that really did not follow the law. “Young people do not want to listen to your parents” Kenisha Martin-Nelson said. “This is what happen when you do not listen.” The mother Kenisha Nelson also explained to Fox 2 that a devil has been riding her daughter back for five to eight years now. (Www.fox2news.com) If Kaylan would have listened to her mother would she still be here instead of breaking curfew laws and risked her life.

This event among other events would have never occurred if police and state officials would enforce curfew. Curfew was never enforced for the past few years now. If curfew was enforced like it should be less crime would occur. Children killing adults and adults killing children is another way that police say curfew needs to be enforced to juveniles more. Have ever you wondered why these things are happen or even why curfew is only toward the juveniles and not adults today?

One may suggest that adults are more mature than juveniles, many teens can attest to this based on school settings; my peers in class fight over irrational events,they will regret later, such as fighting over boys or social media beef. . Inner city violence is the reason why city curfew does not prevent teens from commiting crimes .Curfew can not determine a time when a juvenile will commit a crime. There is no time limit of a person action and to which they proceed to do a act of simple or major crime.

Curfew was created by William the conqueror, which was introduced to England in 1066. William enforced curfew to prohibit from traveling at night. William the conqueror rung a bell to signify curfew time. “ A curfew makes a task of imposing law and order easier, and minimises those disturbances more easily organised under the cloak of the night.”(www.lookandlearn.com) People of England were required to turn off their lights, and rest if the citizens did not abide tothe rules they would suffer punishment. Over time curfew was enforced during war rather than to prevent youth crime. Curfew has changed tremendously over the past years. During WWII, curfew was used to prevent the lost of casualties from the “enemy”..

In 1066, curfew was set for everyone regardless of age. Today's curfew is set only for the youth from the ages of 17 and under. Due to the rise of nativism, fear of foreigners, America needed to implement laws to prohibit the” foreign threat”. Hence, the United States adopted England’s policy“ When curfew laws were first in effect in 1890, the goal was deter immigrant youth from committing crime.”( www.theodysseyonline.com ) Curfew from 1890 to now has grew enormously over the years, but there has never been any enforced life changing consequences.

“Children are grouped together bored and wind up getting into or causing trouble on school days .”(www.theodysseyonline.com) Have you ever thought about why our innocent juveniles are getting killed or causing crime ? No, you do not know why because if that innocent child just like Kaylan would have had an after school activity or something productive to do she would have never been killed. Also, juveniles would not have a reason to follow a crowd and commit a crime if they have something to do rather than rome the streets.

“93 % of the cities that have a youth curfew in place believe that it is a useful tool for police officers to prevent juveniles from becoming victims.” according to (www.theodysseyonline.com) Police put in curfew to protect our juveniles from after hour crimes , right? What about the crimes that typically happen during the day, or even the kids that cut school just to be a “typical juvenile”. Most of the time a juvenile crime would happen during the regular time of the day.

Assistant chief Gay says “Curfew was once a tool to address juvenile crime has gun down a lot, I rather have my officers do something more protective with their time.”according to (www.the marshall project.org) Why enforce a law that you do not have time for ? Why should you feel that it is okay to put us as teens behind bars for curfew hours that the city does not really have time for? Why should juveniles listen to a person in a uniform that do not have time to protect us? Where are the rules and laws that my age group can follow? If police has more time to enforce a law that was made for our teens to follow then curfew can maybe deter or prevent juvenile crime.

“Typically curfew hours has been between the hours of 11pm to 6am the following morning” according to (www.theodysseyonline.com) Between the times of 11pm to 6am a regular juvenile would be in bed getting ready for school or even doing something family related. A criminal juvenile would be in the streets committing a crime or “on the block” sell drugs trying to be with the older crowd. Juveniles would mostly become a victim of any crime if the child has the freedom to do what that child wants to do.

Following the wrong crowd has placed a major part into why juvenile crime is happening. “You are who you hang with” according to my mother Lorelia Fournette. Juvenile crime between curfew hours has typically been caused because of gang related. When a juvenile grows up we do not grow up and think im going to commit a crime. Most of the time it is in the family or have seen this kind of action before. Adults are the cause of most of juveniles being killed or being in the streets.

Not only are the police supposed to protect juveniles but the parents are also supposed to take in responsibility of their child actions. Why is curfew only for juveniles if crime comes from adults too? Do this have to be because they are older and they know what they are supposed to do?

Parents “the adults” who are supposed to keep them safe from all harms and keep them inside for the rules and laws that they are supposed to follow. Adults make the same mistakes that juveniles make. Adults are a duplication of their offspring only difference is they get freedom to make their actions and the youth do not. Teens like to party and stay out late and adults enjoy the same pleasures. Locking a juvenile down for when they are supposed to have freedom only causes events that one may regret to later in life.

“Curfew causes a child to rebel” according to (www.infogram). Rebel a person who rises in opposition or armed resistance against an established government or ruler. Putting curfew on a juvenile is almost like you want them to go out and do something. Juveniles know that they are a consequence after every action. The time from 11pm to 6am do not stop a person action of wanting to commit a crime no matter the consequence.

Crime will always happen whether there is a curfew time. Juveniles will always feel the need to go out and do the wrong things, if they do not have the permission to adventure out in social settings. Teens will always wonder, “what is the world restricted”. “ They need freedom more than anything else, so that one day they can grow up . Then again, we might as well tech that to our governments.” (www.fee.org)Curfew laws are implemented without proper execution or explanation of its’ purpose and guidelines. Most teens are unaware of curfew times, therefore it is easier for teens to involve in “crime” activities Curfew guidelines and consequences are not explained. Therefore, children will partake in activities because they are ignorant of the consequences .

“Evidence suggest that the juvenile curfew are effective at reducing crime and victimization” according to (www.themarshallproject.org ) Crime can happen at any time, place, hour, minute, or second. Crime does not have a start button nor do a bullet have a name on it. For example a kid at a bus stop before school may be killed. Was the student hanging outside of curfew hours? No. He/ she waiting to attend school and could have been a wrongfully kid victim. These scenarios happen everyday in America. A teen/ adult could have been killed due to being at the wrong place and/or wrong time. However, curfew is like a golden ticket if you choose to follow then you stay out of trouble. One may suggest curfew is a form of an unlawful crime.

The control of curfew is like they are being enslaved in a newer form. Freedom is something juveniles look for as they attempt to learn who they are a individuals. Juveniles are always told enjoy life while they are young or even experience your childhood while they can because they want get it back. How are juveniles going to experience something in a short period of time? There are only had twenty - four hours in a day not seventeen.

(FIX) Now, juveniles barely get to make it to last ten hours in a day because of the way the system is set up to knock juveniles down. “ Teens become frustrated with seemly arbitrary rules” according to (www.yourteenmag.com) Teens tend to become sneaky and want to get out so when they are abe to they do the wrong thing. Enforcing rules on a teen is like putting pressure on them and that is why most of juveniles are doing the wrong things and is going down the wrong path.
“A juvenile curfew is unconstitutional in its enforcement because police are targeting juveniles based on race.” (www.criminal.findlaw.com) Racial content between blacks and police are very common. Police are known to be cocky are in control of people action or as what the caucasian people say “ they are just doing their job.” Juveniles at a young age tend to get in trouble or just can not seem to follow rules when they are told. Curfew seem to be pressured on us it is almost like we are being slaved and have no say so about it.

Slavery is when someone has advantage of you and have the power of your whole life whether you like it or not. At the further research Curfew is a painless form of slavery than when actually occurred. When Slavery occurred in the previous time African American had the no freedom to do anything , such not being able to enjoy leisure activities. There was no freedom to even go outside unless told to by our “owner” which had the ability to do anything to our african americans. If slavery do not exist anymore why give juveniles curfew if we are entitled to have freedom?

According to police curfew is to stop juveniles crimes and get them off the streets to save our lives but what are our parents here for. Our parents are our protectors the ones who provide for us and make sure we have everything we need. Police controlling juveniles because they feel like they have the power to do so is outrageous. When have the police checked the last time a juvenile committed a crime during the hours of 11 pm to 6 am?

According to this 2016 chart of juvenile crime rate juvenile typically got to jail for drug peddling and picketing. If curfew is for the ages of under 18 years old where does the drugs come from? In the united states of america (cap) you have to be over the age of 18 of buy and illegal drug out of the store. This crime only typically can happen if we are brought upon this type of action just like picketing. Picketing is “Industrial action by unionized workers called pickets who either are on, or are trying to gather support for, a strike by assembling near the entrance to the employer's premises.” According to (www.businessdictionary.com)

Picketing can be very common because of the world we live in today. Who else is going to go out and stand up for african americans besides us? Picketing is what our parents used to do when they tried to get the freedom they needed to save their life. Though picketing for your rights is against the law this action would not be done alone over aged who be involved in this action to. Just because we are juveniles and under the age of 18 years old we get locked up for the crime we made.

Picketing is one of the petty crimes our juveniles get locked up for and we have no control over. We as juveniles have no advantage to do anything as being a youth and a child while we can. Typically major juvenile crimes happen during non curfew hours for example ; the innocent kids coming home from school or the ones that was following the wrong crowd. Why has curfew only been at night instead of right after school? If curfew was right after school maybe they would have police around for the kids that walk home.

From the hours of 11pm to 6am most juveniles are inside their house. Those hours are best known for crime hours but not from a juvenile. Crime is going to happen weather you put a time on it or not because a person has the right to do what they want to do. Crime is nothing no one can stop “ as long as they have weapons , they will have crime.” Juveniles feel like fighting mean you are weak but killing one another makes you cool or as we would say “you are about that life!”

According to the chart above it shows how curfew hours do not deter or prevent juvenile crimes. School hours are the most accurate time a juvenile will commit a crime simply because we are aware as teens that we are being controlled at a certain part of the day. Law enforcement do not take in full responsibility of our action on a law they want us to follow.

“Implementing after school activities for minors is an excellent way to promote good behavior and discourage violence and crime.” according to (www.theodysseyonline.com) Have you ever wondered if they put extra curriculum in to would it help juveniles crime? What if our juveniles stayed out late after curfew for more education reasons would it still be a problem? We as juveniles have not enough to do after school or in our cities. We have sports but everybody is not able to make the team. Juveniles need more extra curricular such as things to make them better as a person. Being able to go to school and come home to nothing to do can be very frustrating on a juvenile. We tend to go out in the streets and find thing to do and nine times out of ten it leads into trouble.

Crime is nothing we can change, but avoiding teens from getting into trouble can be possible to happen. Putting things in place can make a better outcome of thing, but when you have a line of police in order that do not care juvenile crime would never stop. Weather or not if juveniles have a curfew at anytime of the day that will not deter or prevent juvenile crime.