Mayor proposes city curfew change

Mayor proposes city curfew change

Claire Bentley, Arts and Trends Editor

For many teenagers, one of the perks of turning 17 is not having to deal with being apprehended at night after hours. But for teens in Chicago, that law might not last long. It was only during Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s first year in term when he made the curfew for teens an hour earlier than normal; that kids ages 12-16 have to be inside by 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends.

Emanuel recently proposed another revision to the current curfew law. It would extend to 17-year-olds too. He says that keeping kids inside during late night hours will promote safety and turn responsibility more towards parents.

In one view, his words make sense. Keeping teens off the streets will create safety from the consistent violence that plagues Chicago.

Although most of the violence in Chicago tends to happen at night, keeping underage kids inside isn’t what stops the shootings. Anything can happen at any point of the day, anywhere in the city. Emanuel should be taking charge to enact stronger gun control laws and promote education to both children and adults that resorting to violence is not the moral path.

17 is the age where kids can be tried in court as adults, the age where students are getting closer and closer to college, and at this point they should be allowed that sliver of trust before adulthood. Including them in the curfew won’t create any viable solutions.