Not Dead Yet: Some Dallas Council Members Want Revamped Juvenile Curfew Ordinance

Dallas’ juvenile curfew ordinance will expire this week, but some City Council members aren’t ready to say goodbye to it forever.Members of the council’s Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee on Monday said they want to schedule public hearings for a revamped curfew ordinance. Mostly absent from the discussion was the idea of allowing the ordinance to remain dead.The ordinance, with some exceptions, forbids kids younger than 17 to be outside without an adult between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and between 12:01 and 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. On weekdays, they’re not allowed to be out and about between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. A violation of the ordinance is a class C misdemeanor, which can result in a fine of up to $500.The curfew, which had won support as a public-safety tool in the 1990s, came under fire late last year from civil rights groups and council member Philip Kingston. They say the ordinance — which the council routinely renewed over the years — allows police to unfairly target minority kids.Dallas police officials have recommended decriminalizing the curfew and providing more resources for violators and their parents.Council member Omar Narvaez, who represents West Dallas and part of northwest Dallas, said during the meeting that his district had the largest number of citations since January 2017. Narvaez — who is not a member of the committee but showed up for the meeting — said he was worried that Latinos kids are too often ticketed.  Continue reading...