The juvenile curfew in the city of Dallas will come up for review in the coming new year, as it does every three years. This week, the Dallas Police Department urged the City Council to renew the curfew once again.
Under the current ordinance, minors cannot be out in public on weekdays between 9:00 am to 2:30 pm when school is in session. From Sunday through Thursday, minors are prohibited from being out between 11 pm to 6 am. On Friday and Saturdays, the evening curfew begins at midnight. The ordinance specifies certain exceptions to these rules.
DPD Assistant Chief Jesse Reyes shared several reasons to consider renewing the curfew when he spoke with the Public Safety Committee. Reyes cited a decline in the number of crimes committed by juveniles during the overnight hours, as well as a decrease in youth who could be victimized.
“I want to emphasize that this is a tool we’ve had in our toolbox for many years, and we want to maintain that tool…to do a better job at fighting crime,” Reyes said of the curfew for minors.
The curfew extension has been renewed every three years since the mid-1990s. It is expected to be renewed once again. Minors who break curfew are typically reported with the community courts dealing with penalties. Breaking curfew was decriminalized back in 2019. The number of incidents has since decreased.
Each year less than 500 minors, on average, are disciplined for breaking curfew. In 2021, roughly 350 juveniles have been cited for breaking curfew. First-time offenders are typically given a warning.
The curfew ordinance will be officially voted on in March of 2022. There is no state-wide juvenile curfew law, but various cities within the state have implemented curfew ordinances. You can view the ordinances here.