The Fort Worth City Council is reviewing its curfew ordinance for minors, with the possibility of extending it to 2026.
Fort Worth’s curfew hours for minors ordinance currently dictates that anyone under 18 is not allowed to remain in a public place from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. of the following day from Sunday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday nights, however, they are permitted to stay out till midnight.
Violation of this curfew would result in a $500 fine. The measure was first adopted in 1994 and can be renewed every three years, most recently being voted on in January 2020.
Police issued 120 curfew citations in the last three years, with the majority occurring in 2020 with 72 citations. Those found in violation of the curfew and given citations were primarily aged 15 and 16.
The City Council held its first public hearing of the ordinance during its meeting on November 29.
Captain Marcy Conrad of the Fort Worth Police Department delivered a presentation to the City Council, noting that the number of citations for curfew violations has decreased by 59.7% since October 2019. She explained that this decrease is due to the reduced number of juveniles on city streets.
“By making it illegal for teens under the age of 18 to be out during this time, we hope to prevent the number of crimes that involve juveniles from increasing, protect kids from potential predators and maintain general peace during hours when people need their rest the most,” said Conrad during the session. “Safety for children, peace of mind for parents, and [it] also lessens the workload on officers out on the streets,” she continued.
Bryce Hall, who previously voiced opposition to the ordinance in January 2017 on behalf of the National Youth Rights Association, doubted that those who intended to commit crimes would respect a curfew law.
“Aren’t laws against auto theft, property damage, and drug dealing enough? Is policing otherwise law-abiding behavior the best use of police resources? In fact, violent crimes by juveniles peak in the afternoon between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. and that rate of crime drops nearly 30% by midnight,” he argued.
The National Youth Rights Association (NYRS) is an organization that seeks to defend the rights and freedoms of adolescent citizens. This organization pushed for the abolition of curfew laws for minors on claims of discrimination, constitutionality, and effects on criminal behavior.
The next public hearing on this issue will be held on December 13.