The Fort Worth City Council is considering extending teen curfew legislation. Residents will have another opportunity to weigh in on the topic. Fox 4 reports that if minors are out late in Fort Worth, they must be accompanied by an adult. Juveniles under the age of 17 are not permitted to be out on their own between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or between midnight and 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Fox 4 says, the ordinance has been in effect since 1994, but a state regulation mandates that the council review and vote on it every three years. According to Fort Worth police, it helps to reduce youth issues such as gun violence. Last week, two teenagers were killed in a triple shooting on the city's west side. Over the last three years, police have issued 120 tickets for curfew infractions. They are punishable by a $500 fine. At the end of last year, the city held two public hearings on the ordinance. The city council will hear public comments one last time during Tuesday's meeting before voting on whether to prolong the curfew for another three years. The current ordinance will expire this Saturday.
Fox 4 says with the current ordinance set to expire this Saturday, the City Council's decision on the extension of the curfew will have a significant impact on the safety and well-being of the city's minors. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the curfew in reducing youth issues, such as gun violence, should be critically evaluated. While the police department has reported that the ordinance helps to reduce youth issues, it would be important to gather data and statistics to support this claim and to consider alternative solutions that may be more effective in addressing the root causes of youth issues.
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