Abbeville moves closer to changing curfew for minors

There’s the old saying that nothing good happens after...
Well, everyone has an opinion on that time.
However, the idea is that if you find yourself home by a certain time of night, you won’t find yourself in trouble.
Councilman Francis Touchet Jr.’s idea to help keep minors out of trouble, and in turn, curb crime and other issues that have occurred in Abbeville, is to implement an earlier curfew for anyone under 18.
“We have to give more teeth to the ordinance in reference to a curfew for our kids who are minors,” Touchet said.
During an ordinance committee meeting on Tuesday, Touchet proposed a change that would see unaccompanied minors be off the streets by 8:30 p.m., until 5 a.m., on Sundays through Thursdays and from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The ordinance currently calls for a 10 p.m. curfew on Sundays through Thursdays, and midnight on weekends, for those 17 and under. Along with changing the time, Touchet’s proposal included adding fines or community service for parents and guardians whose children are found in violation of the ordinance.
Council members approved that proposal with a 5-0 vote during the committee meeting. The proposal will go before a vote at the next regular city council meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on April 4. A public hearing will be held prior to a vote. The ordinance would not go into effect until 30 days after it is passed.
“This is not about going and trying to hurt any individual,” Touchet said during the committee meeting. “This is about public safety. We want to make sure the kids have supervision.”
Accountability for parents and guardians is a key component of the proposed changes, Touchet stressed. Fines would begin at a minimum of $50 for the first offense, a minimum of $75 for the second offense, and then climb from there.
“It will increase $25 thereafter,” Touchet said. “That is what we hold parents to.”
Mayor Roslyn White agreed with the addition of a fine.
“We should have a minimum fine,” White said. “Even if we let the judge have some discretion, we need to have a minimum fine set so that they can charge at least that. We made sure that the parents are held accountable for having their children in the street.”
White pointed out that the curfew discussion is not limited to minors on foot.
“They can’t be driving a car after hours either,” White said. “It’s not just walking and biking. So if a cop sees a young person driving a car after curfew, it’s still a violation.”
There are exceptions for minors coming home from school activities, sporting events, and work.
“Of course coming from school events,” White said, “or a 17-year-old who has a job, the cops will have some latitude in those cases.
“We allow for that in our ordinance.”
The ordinance also states that minors simply being with an adult, 18 or older, does not suffice.
“It’s not just being accompanied by an adult,” White said. “We know that a lot of these minors who are getting in trouble are accompanied by adults, adults who are encouraging them to commit crimes. So it says the minor needs to be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or another adult who has the minor’s care and custody.
“It cannot just be an adult.”
Councilman Carlton Campbell said there could be some concerns for parents and guardians unable to pay the fines.
“I think the suggestions are great,” Campbell told Touchet, “but some of these parents will not be able to pay the fine. Most of them are working parents and have trouble meeting their bill obligations.
“If someone gets hundreds of dollars in fines, we would never collect that, as far as I’m concerned.”
White suggested the addition of community service as an alternative.
“That might be a compromise,” White said, “but I would still suggest a minimum so that we have it in writing that we expect this minimum penalty.”
Councilwoman Terry Broussard said she is in favor of the proposed changes.
“I think most people understand that this is truly about public safety,” Broussard said. “It’s definitely something we need in our city to put a stop to what’s been going on.”
Late last month, Chief of Police Mike Hardy implemented a citywide curfew following a shooting on Veterans Memorial Drive that resulted in multiple injuries. After three days, the city lifted that curfew. Some responding positively to the curfew, while others said it restricted law-abiding citizens.
“We’re not going to put a curfew on a responsible adult,” Touchet said, “but we’re going to put a curfew on a minor, someone under 18.”
Touchet said the bottom line is the safety of everyone in the city.
“We are trying to fight the things happening as far as crime,” Touchet said. “We are doing some things and making some ground. This is going to move us further along.”
White agreed.
“The public is asking us to do something about these problems,” she said. “This is something we can do to try to fix the problem. I know if I was picked up at 16 by the police and my parents got fined $50, there would have been consequences at home.
“Hopefully, by putting this in place, those parents start administering consequences within their own household.”
Talitha Boudreaux, who operates Teen Court in Vermilion Parish, said she feels more accountability on parents is appropriate.
“I’m a single parent,” Boudreaux said. “I know what it is to work long hours, but if we keep putting excuses for parents, they’re never going to get it, and our children will continue doing what they’re doing.”
Boudreaux said kids might now view things differently.
“Making the parents pay for this may teach these kids,” Boudreaux said. “They will think, ‘I don’t want my mamma to keep paying for that. This may work, it may not, but we have to try.
“If you love your parent as much as you say you do, you’re not going to allow your parent to keep spending $50 and $100. You’re going to be home.”