City weighs 10 p.m. weekday curfew

I think that the City of Houston is doing a good thing with this..

Youths younger than 17 would be required to be off Houston streets at 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends under a proposal to tighten the existing midnight curfew.
The proposed ordinance, approved Monday by the City Council's Public Safety Committee, is expected to go to a full council vote next month, likely with the support of Mayor Bill White.

Even a democrat can come up with and support some good things.

Many of the crimes committed by juveniles, as well as crimes in which teenagers are the victims, occur during the two-hour time frame that would be covered under the amended ordinance, said Houston Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Mike Thaler.
HPD issued about 500 curfew citations during each of the first three months of this year, the most recent data available. Last year, 3,781 tickets were issued, while at least 6,000 were issued in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

The funny thing is they would be generating more income this way and still doing a service to the community..

The existing ordinance, in effect since 1991, applies to those younger than 18. The change to 17 makes the city's curfew age consistent with Harris County's.
Under the amended law, curfew would be 11 p.m. on weekends and nights before school holidays. The curfew would last until 6 a.m.
Current law also includes a daytime curfew while school is in session: It's illegal for school-age youths to be in a public place between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. That would not change under the proposal.
Exceptions to the evening curfew can be made for teenagers in emergencies, or if they are accompanied by parents, attending school, religious or government-sponsored functions, or working.

see this is reasonable legislation and it works to make enforcement across the metro area standard.

Then you have the comments for

Sabrina Yarbrough, an 18-year-old senior at Booker T. Washington High School, told council members during a public comment period Monday that she supports the change.
"It's a good way to keep kids out of jail and to have them in the house at a decent time so they don't get in too much trouble," she said. "What are you going to do after 10 anyway?"

And against

"I don't agree with it," said Damien Anderson, 17. "Some of us know how to act in public."
In the committee vote Monday, Council members Toni Lawrence, Sue Lovell, Carol Alvarado and Garcia recommended that the full council approve the amended ordinance.
"These young people understand what it is that we're trying to accomplish," Garcia said. "They may not agree with it, but they respect it."
Councilman M.J. Khan voted against the change because he isn't convinced that HPD has the manpower to enforce an earlier curfew, he said.

Now I think young Mr. Anderson is missing the point, it is not the ones that know how to behave that are being targeted, it is those that do not have the sense to behave them selves.

It is sad that government has had to step in where parents once stood. My folks enforced that sort of curfew on me till I was 18 and out of High School. I lived, and I believe that I am a more responsable person because of it.