Panel unsure of city curfew

A panel of government officials and community leaders made little progress Tuesday on a proposed city curfew, but participants did agree that such a law still would not solve the broader problem of juvenile crime.

“We don’t see (a curfew) as a cure-all,” said Columbia police Chief Randy Boehm, who supports the measure. “It would be an additional tool to remove young people from an unfavorable situation.”

Boehm was one of five panelists at a community forum sponsored by the local NAACP Tuesday night at Second Baptist Church to discuss the pros and cons of a city curfew.

Panel members explained their positions and took questions from the audience, which numbered between 30 and 40 people.

Panelist Jeffery Williams of the Minority Men Network explained he does not support the curfew because it would violate the rights of children.

“Youngsters should be entitled to the same constitutional protections as adults,” he said.

He also opposes the curfew because it would allow for racial profiling, he suggested, with police selectively enforcing the law in areas perceived to be a problem.

Talk of a teen curfew has percolated in the city for at least a dozen years, with current City Councilwoman Almeta Crayton first proposing such a measure in 1993. Two years ago, the City Council was poised to vote on such a measure before Crayton withdrew her proposal, which faced intense criticism from the local NAACP.

Among the options proposed was keeping the Armory and Activities and Recreation Centers open later in order to give teenagers a place to go. An audience member suggested the city finance research into whether a curfew has solved crime problems in other cities.

Community organizer Tracy Edwards, also a panelist, said there would be problems enforcing a curfew. He questioned how police would enforce the curfew without infringing on the rights of residents older than 17 — the suggested age limit for a curfew.

Panelist Dan Viets, a local attorney, said that curfews are not effective at reducing crime.

“Curfews have been shown not to have any positive effects on crime,” he said, citing curfew laws in Phoenix.

Crayton explained that she does not insist on a curfew, just a solution to the community’s problems.

“I think the No. 1 issue is the kids,” she said. “I don’t care about the curfew.”

Williams also suggested a possible “quid pro quo” agreement for enacting a curfew. If the community does enact a curfew, then a citizens’ review council should be started in order to monitor its progress.

NAACP President Mary Ratliff explained that her organization is worried about the effects on individuals.