Thursday, May 24, 2012
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