Northville adopts curfew for youths
By KAYLEIGH KARUTIS, The Leader-HeraldArticle Photos
NORTHVILLE - The village board adopted a curfew for youths Tuesday, citing recent burglary attempts and vandalism as reasons the law is necessary.
The board conducted a public hearing during its meeting to field questions or comments about the law.
One resident, Terry Warner, attended the hearing. He expressed his concern, saying he was not sure he wanted "big brother" enforcing another law on village residents.
"I've never had any negative experience with any of the youth here," he said. "I'm wondering why the topic of a curfew is even being broached."
Mayor James Groff, who also is the police commissioner, said of all the comments he has received from village residents, Warner's have been the only ones against enacting the law.
"The biggest part of the problem is with the parents," Groff said. "I responded to an incident of a 15-year-old out at 5 a.m., and she was intoxicated. We brought her to her house and her mom seemed to think [the 15- year-old] was our responsibility."
Groff said there have been recent attempted burglaries at several stores in the village. He cited a problem countywide with drugs and alcohol.
"The apathy in the county amazes me," he said. "There is an illegal drug and underage drinking problem in this county."
Warner said he was concerned youths who are out and not causing trouble would be unfairly targeted.
Board member Jennifer Conkling-Donovan said the law spells out a number of exceptions that would prevent an innocent minor from being targeted.
"There are so many exceptions for being out because of work or a special event," she said. "And you get a verbal warning first before there is any ticket issued."
The law prohibits any person younger than 18 from loitering or remaining on any public property, including streets, parks or sidewalks, past 11 p.m. any night of the week. It is similar to other curfew laws already on the books in the villages of Broadalbin and St. Johnsville.
There are exceptions for minors who are accompanied by a parent or guardian, leaving or going to work, or who recently left a community, school or recreational event and are heading home.
Board member Norman Richardson said he has not received much feedback, either positive or negative, about the law.
"When no one says no, how do you read that?" he asked.
Groff said he does not like putting another law on the village books, but said it has become necessary and will be a useful tool for law enforcement.
"I don't like being a surrogate parent, believe me," he said.
Conkling-Donovan agreed.
"We have a good core group of kids in the village," she said. "This is a tool for law enforcement for those few bad apples."
Kayleigh Karutis covers rural Fulton County. She can be reached at ruralnews@leaderherald.com.
|
harleysdad
|
|
|---|---|
|
10-03-08 9:48 AM
|
Hey ican read. Dont think for a minute the officers don't have a list of who gets away with what. I have lived in the area for a long time. I know how it works around there. The rules are not for everyone
|
|
icanread
|
|
|
09-21-08 8:52 AM
|
The true point of the matter is that the board did determine there was a problem in the Village with parents who won't step up to the plate and be parents. They had to enact a curfew to provide a quality of life for everyone....young and old alike.
|
|
icanread
|
|
|
09-21-08 8:49 AM
|
harleysdad, you can't expect anyone to believe that the Village of Northville board members will be out patrolling during curfew hours and having a say in who gets what treatment...that will be determined by the officers on patrol during those times.
|
|
harleysdad
|
|
|
09-20-08 7:38 AM
|
icanread. You are absolutely right.They will access the situation according to whose child it is. They (the village board) are all members of the good ol boy club.
|
|
forjustice
|
|
|
09-19-08 1:56 PM
|
MR. GROFF YOU ARE THE BEST STICKING UP FOR YOUR TOWNS CHILDREN, YOU ALWAYS HAD GOOD INTENTION NO MATTER WHERE YOU WORK AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT, YOU ARE A LEADER AND EXAMPLE. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK- FORMER NORTHVILLE RESIDENT FOR YEARS
|
|
icanread
|
|
|
09-19-08 11:19 AM
|
Obviously, JamesD, you have never had your property vandalized or been a victim of a burglary. Even if a youth is out on the streets after curfew, it doesn't mean that the police will automatically issue them a ticket. I'm sure they will addresses each case individually and take the apropriate actions.
|
|
JamesD
|
|
|
09-19-08 10:50 AM
|
It shouldn't be police business if a teenager is simply walking down the street past a certain time of night. Amazing to me that people are willing to sacrifice such a basic civil right in order to, maybe, curtail a bit of vandalism and petty theft.
|
|
icanread
|
|
|
09-19-08 10:42 AM
|
Barbara...good point, but I would also like to add that most curfews state the youth cannot be in public places, like roaming the streets or in parks. They can be outside on private property and not be in violation of a curfew.
|
|
harleysdad
|
|
|
09-19-08 6:48 AM
|
You get what you pay for
|
|
Barbara
|
|
|
09-19-08 12:42 AM
|
wether is supposed to be whether.
|
|
Barbara
|
|
|
09-19-08 12:41 AM
|
cazzie I think that I know what family you are talking about, but are you sure that it is the kids playing the loud music and fireworks? A curfew would help some parents in controlling their teens. Teens wether they are good or bad will give into peer pressure and convince their parents that their friends are allowed to be out so why can't they. Now a parent in Northville can just say "it's the law that you have to be home at such time". If the kid wants to stay at a friends house, then he or she has to be in that house at a certain time too. Good job Northville.
|
|
FireKatt
|
|
|
09-18-08 1:09 PM
|
It's a measure to prevent something from happening JamesD. As with the case in Fonda right now. Yeah there are laws on the books that deal with breaking and entering and burglarizing AFTER THE FACT. If those things could have been prevented well the good people who were ripped off wouldn't have to dive into the Mohawk river for their belongings now.
|
|
icanread
|
|
|
09-18-08 12:05 PM
|
I applaud Mayor Groff and the board members for trying to help with a definite problem in the village. Many times, I have driven through Northville and seen youth wandering the streets after midnight, school nights included, and have wondered where the parents of these kids are.
|
|
RizziBear
|
|
|
09-18-08 10:37 AM
|
Has Northville purchased any "Rottom Apple" Tee shirts or will they simply tattoo it on the necks of potential perps?
|
|
JamesD
|
|
|
09-18-08 10:11 AM
|
This kind of curfew is really kinda silly. Yet another example of public officials making an unnecessary intrusion into peoples' lives. There are laws on the books to deal with any sort of mischief a teenager might get into. Public intoxication, underage drinking, vandalism, trespassing...all these things are already covered by existing laws. There is no reason whatsoever that law abiding teenagers should have their movements restricted by something as oppressive, and outdated, as a village curfew.
|
|
LunitaFea
|
|
|
09-18-08 8:10 AM
|
Education starts at home. It is very sad to see parents with no morals and family values. If they had them, their kids would be in bed by 10pm every night, if these values were tought since very early in the kid's life, this 15, 16, and 17 yr. old would't hae a problem going to bed at 10pm. every night. This is a proven fact.
|
|
toots205
|
|
|
09-17-08 10:03 PM
|
Good job, yes every town should have a curfew, where the heck are the parents out drinking or someplace, they have no clue where their kids are, not all parents but in Fulton county there are alot who miss the boat on parenting....they should be arrested after a warning maybe they will wake up, and smell the coffee.....10:00 is late enough, no wonder kids are failing in school how can they do homework etc. and run the streets...I am for 10:00 not 11:00 and a 15yr old should be in before this.....amen
|
|
Discobulous
|
|
|
09-17-08 9:45 PM
|
With all the electronic capability of our modern world, why can't they just put motion sensing taser guns on all the telephone poles downtown? They could taser the miscreants the minute they move after 11 and send a signal to the police cruiser to pick them up. But I don't get one thing: whenever I'm in Northville, the whole place closes up by 10 pm. like a venus fly trap at night. Who's out there except the deer?
|
|
FireKatt
|
|
|
09-17-08 7:55 PM
|
There is absolutely no GOOD reason kids should be out after 11:00. There was an article in this paper not too long ago where a woman was ticketed or arrested because her kids were out after curfew. One was even like 16 or something. They weren't little kids. The police brought them home the first time and the second time the mother was arrested or ticketed. Great job Northville!!!
|
|
abbadon12010
|
|
|
09-17-08 6:29 PM
|
AMSTERDAM REALLY NEEDS TO ADOPT THIS AS LAW THIS CITY IS OVERRUN WITH VIOLENCE IT IS TIME TO WAKE AND GET THOSE PUNKS OFF THE STREETS
|
|
abbadon12010
|
|
|
09-17-08 6:28 PM
|
AMSTERDAM REALLY NEEDS TO ADOPT THIS AS ALAW THIS CITY IS OVERRUN WITH VIOLENCE IT IS TIME TO WAKE AND GET THOSE PUNKS OFF THE STREETTS
|
|
NottaPinko
|
|
|
09-17-08 5:33 PM
|
Maybe when the cops bring the kid home the 2nd time (warnings exhausted) the parent oughta get arrested also.
|
|
Forthegood
|
|
|
09-17-08 4:07 PM
|
Good job members of the village board. You got it right. And good job Mayor Groff. I do believe we need more activities for young people in the village but after 11:00 pm there should be few exceptions for kids being out and about. If there are school or community supervised activities I'm sure the village will be flexible.
|
|
givemeabreak
|
|
|
09-17-08 3:03 PM
|
GOOD WORK VILLAGE OF NORTHVILLE BOARD! i agree totally, why should children be out past 11. and why is the responsibility of the police and the village board and the residents of any place to take care of the children there? is this what 'it takes a village to raise a child' means? i think not. and the language that comes out of these kids. even the very young. parents fault again... alot of lazy parents out there no matter where you live. it is easier to give the kids what they want than to argue with them. let them hang the streets than to keep them home, god for bid you have to listen or deal with your own children. not all parents are bad just most of them. not all kids are bad. just most of them lately.
|
|
JimS55
|
|
|
09-17-08 2:10 PM
|
When will Johnstown and Gloversville do this!?!?!
|