Teen Curfews: Do They Work Or Are They All Talk?

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Story Published: Feb 25, 2009 at 5:35 PM PST

By Sade Malloy

Grandview

When it comes to teen taggers some authorities have tackled the problem by turning the hobby into a punishment, making taggers paint murals for community service.

But Yakima city leaders want to move beyond that: keeping teens off the streets with a curfew.

It's a plan that's already in operation in the Lower Valley. "We were running across kids all the time during the course of our evening and late night shifts and we couldn't touch them," says Chief David Charvet, Grandview Police Department.

Grandview tackled their graffiti and car prowl problem a couple years ago when the city put the Parental Responsibility Law into effect. It says minors must be off the streets between midnight and 5 am. "I don't know what some of the younger kids especially under 17,18 what they're even doing out at 11,12 o'clock at night," says local resident Mike Bolt.

Two years afters the law went into effect, Grandview P.D. has handed out 37 tickets: not to the wandering teens but to their parents. First you get a warning, then if a child is picked up again the parent is taken to court and fined at least $150. "It varies sometimes, it's like every other day but the last time they painted these two garages it's been a good month now," another homeowner commented.

Chief Charvet says the fines are a part of why the curfew is working. He says sometimes you've got to hit them where it hurts: in the wallet.
"Someone has to take responsibility for this child, it shouldn't be the community it should be the parent," he tells Action News.

It's all about enforcement. Grandview is following through with its rules and the city has changed because of it. Now Yakima has an opportunity to do the same.

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