WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. September 12, 2006: A candidate for Common Council, opposing political appointee Dennis Power, designated to fill deceased Councilman Robert Greer's term through December 31, writes on the success of curfews in curbing youth violence and exuberance across America:
Dear Mr. Bailey,
I have devoted my entire career to educating, nurturing and dealing with our society’s greatest asset: our children. In my career, I have witnessed families and children overcome incredible obstacles in their lives to attain their personal version of the American dream, whether it was a college education, becoming a hero firefighter or policeman, or starting their own business.
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Had I worked in elite schools or exclusive school districts, perhaps the success of the children and families that I witnessed could not be considered uncommon; however; it is an unfortunate fact that most of the children and families that I have had the opportunity to serve are by no means privileged; indeed, I must admit that for the most part, the children and parents that I have served are poor, far too many children consider themselves lucky if they actually live with one parent, never mind two, and far, far too many children have such voids in their home life that the result is that they grow up with little discipline and they have no substantive dreams, aspirations or direction in their lives.
Unfortunately, into that void, too often comes gang affiliations and membership. Or a child, who has no role model to learn life lessons relative to respect for others, develops antisocial behavior patterns. The end for these unfortunate children is not hard to discern: they abandon educational pursuits, trend toward criminality and without even realizing it as it happens; they lose whatever slim hope they may have had to attain the American dream because, quite simply, they end up in prison.
I have seen this happen countless times. And to be fair, antisocial behavior is not limited to a single class, race or ethnicity. As incredible as it may seem, some of the least respectful children I have encountered are from wealthy families.
The question of whose fault “bad behavior” or antisocial acting out in our children is far beyond the scope of this note: my purpose in describing my observations is simple: there are among us a dedicated core of children who have in fact little or no regard for others, extreme distain for authority, and by their actions, they genuinely pose a threat to our citizenry, especially our most vulnerable, our senior citizens. And in a responsible society, that should not be allowed to happen.
The stated objective of a curfew for children in places of public assembly is simple: to diminish the opportunity of unsupervised and antisocial children from committing crimes and, conversely, to shield innocent and peaceful citizens from harm. Both objectives are acceptable and appropriate.
Regarding the actual implementation of a curfew, I must also state the following: a curfew must never be used to target persons based upon race, creed or economic class. In my opinion, such would violate our State and Federal Constitution.
Having said that, I must nevertheless, take some of your readers to task for the gross over breath of their comments.
Some of your reader’s point of view on curfew laws is that all such are unconstitutional and all such laws are inappropriate. One reader who should be better informed about the law states in a typically overblown fashion, “Curfew? Not in my city, not in my state, not in my country.” And in another statement declares that “ I would be happy to debate … on Constitutional issues and the penal code … [t]his guy really needs a lesson in Citizenship … I would implore Mr. Fiztpatrick to read the Declaration of Independence as well as the full US Constitution and NY State Constitution - wonderful documents, wonderful freedoms! Maybe he will think twice about curfews in the land of cherished freedoms.”
To begin, appropriate curfews for children are not uncommon at all in the United States of America. In a report entitled “ A Status Report on Youth Curfews in America's Cities: A 347-City Survey,” The U.S. Conference of Mayors commissioned a survey on youth surveys. As the report details, the 1997 survey gathered information from 347 cities with a population over 30,000. Mayors and city officials were asked for information on:
- the use of both daytime and nighttime curfews,
- perceptions of whether curfew enforcement is a good use of police officers' time,
- perceptions of whether curfews make streets safer at night, cut down on daytime truancy,
- effectiveness of curfew enforcement in curbing gang violence or gang activities,
- increases or decreases in crime rates since curfews have been in effect,
- police department costs associated with curfew enforcement,
- problems encountered in implementing curfews and
- constitutional challenges to curfews.
In the surveyed cities, over 70 percent of the Cities reported that such curfews were effective.
Among the findings of the survey:
Four out of five of the survey cities (276) have a nighttime youth curfew.
Of these cities, 26 percent (76) also have a daytime curfew.
Nine out of 10 of the cities (247) said that enforcing a curfew is a good use of a police officer's time.
Ninety-three percent of the survey cities (257) said that a nighttime curfew is a useful tool for police officers.
All of the 72 cities which have a daytime curfew report that it has cut down on truancy. They said that it reduces daytime burglary, holds parents accountable and keeps kids in school.
Eighty-eight percent (236) of the cities said that curfew enforcement helps to make streets safer for residents.
Eighty-three percent (222) of the cities said that a curfew helps to curb gang violence.
Of course, as common sense and the survey points out, there are and always will be costs attendant to imposing a curfew, but from the perspective of the citizenry, I would suggest that the positive responses of Cities across the United States to the imposition of youth curfews is a serious proposition that the Citizens of White Plains should consider, a discussion that should be devoid of hyperbole and totally inappropriate comparisons to horrors imposed on innocent citizenry by Nazis during the holocaust and are so wildly out of place in civilized discussion that such deserves no countenance by rational debaters.
Respectfully,
Cass Cibelli
Candidate for Common Council
