The city of Fort Worth is in the process of reviewing its curfew ordinance, possibly extending it to 2026.
The current curfew ordinance applies to anyone under 18 between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday. First adopted in 1994, it is up for renewal every three years.
The last time it was approved was January 2020.
The first of two public hearings was on Tuesday when Capt. Marcy Conrad with the Fort Worth Police Department presented data to the city council. According to Conrad, the number of curfew citations has decreased by 59.7% since October 2019.
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“Although there is no tangible mechanism to measure the absence of crime, it is believed that the number of citations has decreased due to reduced number of juveniles on the street between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.,” Conrad said.
Conrad added, it is the department’s position that the curfew is a “win-win” for both law enforcement and the public.
“By making it illegal for teens under the age of 18 to be out during this time, we hope to prevent the number of crimes that involve juveniles from increasing, protect kids from potential predators and maintain general peace during hours when people need their rest the most,” she said. “Safety for children, peace of mind for parents and also lessens the workload on officers out on the streets.”
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Because the ordinance is up for renewal every three years, it has invited debate from both supporters and opponents.
Bryce Hall spoke on behalf of a campaign with the National Youth Rights Association in opposition to the curfew in January 2017.
“Let’s think about this rationally. Curfew laws are intended to stop young people from committing crimes by making them stay inside,” Hall said at the time. “If a person intends to commit a crime by stealing a car, vandalizing a home, or deal drugs, why would they have any respect for another law that made it illegal to be outside? Aren’t laws against auto theft, property damage, and drug dealing enough? Is policing otherwise law-abiding behavior the best use of police resources?”
Sacher Dawson, Executive Director of Hope Farm, is in support of the curfew. Hope Farm is an after-school and leadership development program in Fort Worth specifically geared toward mentoring young boys who are growing up without fathers.
Their three-prong approach includes literacy, bible study and tutoring, Dawson said.
“We believe in structure and curfew. Our after-school program in a sense is a curfew,” he said Tuesday. “As my grandparents used to tell me a long time ago, right? There’s only a few things that happen past midnight. They’re all bad. In order to get our kids indoors and in a safe place, off the streets at a decent hour…just makes all the difference in the world to me. So, I applaud the effort.”
The next public hearing is on Dec. 13.
