Youngstown police and council seek to toughen curfew law

Youngstown police and council seek to toughen curfew law

YOUNGSTOWN

With the school year coming to an end, police plan to crack down on minors — and their parents and guardians — for those violating the city’s curfew law.

Police Chief Rod Foley told city council’s safety committee members today that he supports legislation, sponsored by Councilman John R. Swierz, D-7th, to increase the fines for those who break the city curfew.

“We also want to make sure the parents are held responsible,” Foley said.

The city law makes it a minor misdemeanor for children 17 years of age and younger to be on streets and sidewalks between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The parents and guardians of those kids can also be charged.

The first offense would remain a minor misdemeanor. The second offense would also be a minor misdemeanor, but the mandatory fine would be $150. A typical fine currently is $25 to $50.

The third and subsequent offenses would be a fourth-degree misdemeanor, with violators facing a fine of up to $250.

For the complete story, read Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com