http://www.nbc17.com/news/4507818/detail.html?subid=10101621

Quote :

"The 9 p.m. curfew, which was suggested by the mayor, is an effort to crack down on increasing gang activity. Nearly 300 Knightdale residents attended a town meeting a few weeks ago to address gang concerns. Several residents living in one seemingly quiet neighborhood told NBC-17 the signs of gang activity were everywhere. They said they are afraid to speak of their transient neighbors, alleged gang members. "Now, everything is under lock and key. I've been telling my family to deadbolt all the doors," one citizen said. "What's next? That's what I'm afraid of," said another. Under the new rules, which went into effect immediately, youths under 18 have to be indoors by 9 p.m., and groups of more than four youths aren't allowed to hang out in public. Anxious parents flooded town offices Thursday with questions about the curfew, such as whether working teens need notes if they're driving home after 9 p.m. or whether a neighborhood basketball game can extend late into the night. Teens said Thursday that they understand the need for the stiffer regulations, although they didn't appreciate them. "I don't think I can deal with it," said Janae Scott, student body president-elect at Knightdale High School. A lot of kids around here want to go out after 9 -- parties, movies, innocent things that you would want to do. We can't even do that now because of this ordinance, because of other people who want to make bad decisions." Knightdale High Student President Hayley Thornton said she is fed up with gang graffiti, which has hit her neighborhood three times in the past two months. Gang members even sprayed her church. "When they hit my church, that's when I was really upset -- the fact that they got that low," Thornton said. Parents will be the people paying the price if their children break curfew. Under the new regulations, a first offense will face a $100 fine, a second offense a $250 fine and a third offense a $400 fine. Parents also could be jailed for repeated violations. "I hate to blame the parents, but a lot of times they're not involved enough to know where their kids hang out," Thornton said. Chris Baskett, freshman class president at Knightdale High, said the teens themselves should be held responsible for graffiti vandalism, not their parents. "Community service would be a good thing, maybe make them clean up the next graffiti," Baskett said. Citations are at the discretion of police officers, who will receive training as to proper enforcement, officials said. Next, Knightdale leaders play to tackle graffiti by asking local merchants to stop selling spray paint to minors."

Way to steal the last years of childhood from your residents and promote more fear-culture. Does this make anybody else absolutely sick?

This whole "punish everybody, because if we save JUST ONE LIFE" nonsense has got to stop.

5/25/2005 7:15:24 PM

We need more stormtroopers patrolling the streets.

5/25/2005 7:24:38 PM

Quote :

"A lot of kids around here want to go out after 9 -- parties, movies, innocent things that you would want to do."

Everybody knows that you're a whore.

Everybody.

5/25/2005 7:28:37 PM

Now I would understand anti-loitering laws, but a curfew, especially at 9 pm, is bordering on a police state, and I really don't see how this is legal. It will be interesting to see if this lasts, and if it actually helps anything.

5/25/2005 8:24:53 PM

hey its like the NPO Lite

gg Knightdale, welcome back to the 1800's.

5/25/2005 8:49:16 PM

Are the seventeen-year-olds really causing that many problems??? Knightdale really stunk up here IMO. I don't think this solves jack shit.

And gg for giving another demonstration of how minors don't have constitutional rights.

5/25/2005 9:06:46 PM

yeah, I like the "no more than 4 youths together!" bullshit. Here's to hoping it gets struck down.

5/25/2005 9:39:23 PM

Quote :

"We can't even do that now because of this ordinance, because of other people who want to make bad decisions.""

no, you can't do that now because your town sucks.

5/25/2005 10:04:59 PM

people always want to yell about stopping crime

until someone tries to do something about it

5/25/2005 10:30:31 PM

NOT IN MY BACKYARD!

5/25/2005 10:42:00 PM

Looks like the ACLU is considering a challenge to the 9 pm Knightdale curfew. Apparently the Knightdale curfew is more restrictive than other curfews nationwide.

http://www.wral.com/news/4779574/detail.html

I'm for the curfew as a limited event, to break the cycle of graffiti and encourage parents and teens to start addressing the issue together. Sadly, I'll bet the parents and teens that need to have the conversation aren't speaking to oneanother.

In addition to this, Consolidated Theaters won't let an unaccompanied teen into a movie that starts past 9:30 PM.

http://www.wral.com/news/4301466/detail.html

My curfew (as imposed by dear old dad) when I turned 16 was 11:00 PM on Friday and Saturday nights. Then again, I was usually at school events or places that wanted teen business (movies, dance clubs).

Seems a shame to impose a curfew on all teens, just because of the actions of a few.

[Edited on July 29, 2005 at 10:29 PM. Reason : then again, we all get punished for the actions of the few]

7/29/2005 10:27:49 PM

thank god i graduated when i did

7/29/2005 10:34:26 PM

Quote :

"This whole "punish everybody, because if we save JUST ONE LIFE" nonsense has got to stop."

and besides the curfew, that whole "groups of 4 or more youth are not allowed to hang out in public" if fucking retarded, and i don't see how it's Constitutional (although you could say the same thing about the NPO)

7/29/2005 10:36:10 PM

this is nothing racial profiling won't fix.

7/29/2005 10:37:21 PM

they will probably just drive out past knightdale to hang out

7/29/2005 10:40:31 PM

Hypothetical situation: Let's say I'm 16, and I live east of Knightdale but work in Raleigh. What are the cops gonna do if I stop at a Knightdale gas station to fill up on the way home from work at 9:30?

7/29/2005 10:49:40 PM

they'll harass yo ass fo sure!

7/29/2005 10:58:44 PM

good

because fuck kids

7/29/2005 10:59:30 PM

definitely looks like the work of stupid punk kids!

7/29/2005 11:02:59 PM

Quote :

"bordering on a police state, and I really don't see how this is legal"

Well, there is nothing in the US constitution against restricting the movements of minors. Remember truancy laws?

They are kids, and this is the lowest level of government. While it is a tad wrong in a moral sense, I have no choice but to conceed the legality of these actions.

7/29/2005 11:24:12 PM

kids ought to stage a sit-in if they were honestly upset about it

otherwise stfu about it

7/29/2005 11:39:26 PM

I'm moving to Knightdale within the next two weeks.

Hearing about this only fills me with an overwhelming warm glow


akin to radiation poisoning.

7/30/2005 1:35:11 AM