x
Breaking News
More () »

Local NAACP group thinks enforcing curfew law will cut down on teen violence in Bibb County

The current law sets a curfew on anyone 16 years or younger between midnight and 5 a.m..

The local NAACP group led a news conference outside of the Macon Government Center calling on Mayor Robert Reichert to enforce the curfew law.

President Gwenette Westbrooks hopes he will even change it.

"If you are less than 18 years old, then you should not be out past 10:00. 12:00 is too late for a 16-year-old to be out," Westbrooks said.

Reichert says there are many reasons why the law is hard to enforce, but it's mostly because of all of its exceptions.

"It's almost like Swiss cheese -- it's got so many holes in it than there is fabric on the outside, and with the limited resources that the sheriff has, the first line isn't to distinguish whether that's a 15-year-old or a 17-year-old.

As for what teenagers think, some students from Howard High School say enforcing the curfew is a good idea.

Saumil Patel and Jarvis Martin are both 17. Thanks to their parents, they've always had 11:00 p.m. curfews.

Martin says being out any later leads to no good.

"What are you doing out at 12:00 or 3:00? Unless you're with family, but there's not a good reason to be outside at like 3:00 or 4:00," Martin said.

So they said the countywide curfew was never a problem for them, especially since they're 17.

However, the rule does affect anyone 16 years or younger.

"I think it's a good idea because lots of parents don't put curfews on their kids, because they trust that they don't do bad things at night, and with the citywide thing, they have to put that on their kid to be home at that time," 15-year-old, sophomore Rachel Flores said.

Her classmate Nick Jackson is also 15. He agrees that the curfew could help cut down on teen violence, but he thinks there should be exceptions.

"For football games that run late and just other school activities that might run past 12," Jackson said.

If minors are running an emergency errand, coming home from work or a school event, or have permission from their parents they're in the clear.

If not, their parents could face a fine.

"If I were out that late, I don't think I'd be allowed to do very much after that," Jackson said.

When asked whether the enforced curfew would pressure cops to stop and frisk more minors, Martin said he was a little worried.

"It actually happened to my cousin that lives all the way in Minnesota, so I will always worry about it," Martin said.

Reichert said one reason the current curfew law is difficult to enforce is because officers have to guess a person's age before pulling them over.

But Reichert, Westbrooks and the students agree that enforcing the curfew starts with parents talking to their children at home.

Before You Leave, Check This Out