Officials Plan NYC Curfew

New York Post | September 28 2004

Comment: First they raise it to under-21's and then apply it to everyone without a National ID Card and a security threat rating above green.

City streets could become an adults-only zone late at night if two Big Apple lawmakers have their way.

City Councilmen Dennis Gallagher (R-Queens) and James Oddo (R-S.I.) plan to introduce a bill today establishing a curfew prohibiting anyone under 18 from being in a public place without adult supervision between midnight and 6 a.m.

"When you think about things and you wonder what good can happen to a child alone on the streets of New York at 2 in the morning, no one's been able to give me a good answer on that," said Gallagher.

"I'd much rather see them at home, reading a book, sleeping or doing something constructive."

The measure authorizes cops to demand proof of age from people they suspect of violating the curfew.

Officers could then escort the violator home, detain him or her at a precinct to await pick-up by a parent, guardian or relative, or issue a summons.

The bill provides penalties of up to 25 hours of community service for a first offense and 50 hours for subsequent violations.

But it isn't just kids who can wind up in trouble.

Parents who knowingly let their kids break the curfew can be fined $75 for a first offense and $250 for additional slip-ups.

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