Hartford Youth React to City Curfew

In the wake of a disturbingly violent weekend in Hartford, the city has instated a city wide curfew effective tonight. Any minor under the age of 18 who is not accompanied by a legal guardian after 9:00 will be issued a written warning by police, and escorted to a community center where they must be picked up by a parent.

Members of The Connecticut YOUTH Forum react:

I’m against the 9:00 curfew for the youth of Hartford. All this curfew is going to do is make people more upset and I don’t believe that it will stop or even lower the crime rate in Hartford. People will still find away to get around it. That law will probably be enforced heavily for the first couple of weeks and then die down. Some teens like me either are involved with different programs or work. What happens if somebody is on their way home from work and is involved with different programs stopped by a cop? They’re not always going to believe that kid is coming home from work, so they will end up being arrested. I’ve heard on the news that they’re allowing kids under 18 to be out past nine along they’re with their legal guardian, but they will still question the parent.
Kyron, 16 Weaver High School


In a way I think it is going to help the crime rate but 9 pm seems too early. If the curfew was at 10 or 10:30 then it would be plausible to work with.
Earl, 17, Weaver High School


I believe that the nine o’clock curfew will not help or change. It is just an harsh punishment for the youth who are not involved and have never been involved in teen violence. Out of the youth population only a small number is connected with the violence that set about the Hartford curfew. It is not fair to the children and teenagers who are not involved. It is very unlikely that the teens now associated with violence and gang relations will abide by the curfew. So the ones most deserving of this punishment will not even feel its effects. If anything the teens will rebel against such demands and stay out later doing more violent acts. As for students like me who have sporting events, games, and study groups, or just want to go to the new late night showing of a new movie, we are the ones who will miss out. I myself have programs that end at 8pm and if it takes me an hour to get home waiting patiently for a bus I don’t want to be hauled off doing absolutely nothing. Further more the police have a lot of things on their hands like crime murder and the occasional drug lord. Do they really have time to patrol Hartford picking up children who have never done anything.
Marnise, 17, Sports and Medical Sciences Academy

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