Editorial: Curfew does help parents, teenagers

CURFEWS have gotten a bum rap lately from critics who suggest they don't do enough to curb juvenile crime.

What these naysayers from think tanks haven't bothered to do is imagine a world absent of curfews, where anything goes, and teenagers are allowed to roam all hours of the night without any restrictions. Besides, curfews are just one piece of the puzzle in dealing with juvenile crime; there are many other factors that affect whether juveniles are engaged in unlawful activities.

If there was ever a metropolitan area that has a need for a curfew, it's Las Vegas. Unlike most cities, Las Vegas is a 24-hour town, with plenty of nighttime opportunities for teenagers to get into trouble. Another important aspect of curfews that often gets obscured is that they aren't only in place to prevent teenagers from committing crimes, they're there for safety reasons, to protect them from criminals who might prey on them.

Recently, the Sun's Jerry Fink went along with a Metro Police bike patrol and observed how the county's curfew law was enforced. The article published Tuesday told of a teenage girl being picked up by Metro Police for violating the law. It was the second offense for the 16-year-old, who at the time of her detention was with two older men she had met earlier in the evening at a hotel-casino.

For those not familiar with the curfew law, there are two sets -- one for the Strip and another for the rest of the county. Anyone younger than 18 who is not with a parent or guardian must be off the public streets between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between midnight and 5 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, legal holidays and summer vacation. Meanwhile, the curfew on the Strip is somewhat more restrictive -- from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and legal holidays.

No one ever has suggested the curfew law is a panacea for reducing juvenile crime, but it defies common sense to think that it doesn't have a healthy impact. Teenagers already have plenty of freedom, and requiring them to be at home during the late evening and early morning hours makes plenty of sense.

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