https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/jeannette-council-eases-proposed-fine-for-curfew-violations/
Jeannette council eases proposed fine for curfew violations
Fines for violations of Jeannette’s 11 p.m. curfew were reduced in a new version of a proposed ordinance approved by council last week.
Solicitor Tim Witt said the updated proposal carries fines ranging from $25 to $300 for to curfew violations. The fines could be assessed to a minor or parent.
“It’s not an increasing scale,” he said.
The ordinance was last reviewed in 1943. City police have said they have encountered issues this summer with children out late at night and an update is needed to address the problem, which lately has been worse than past years. The curfew for children 17 and younger is 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Thursday’s vote was unanimous. The ordinance will require a second approval by council before police can begin to enforce it. That second vote could take place at council’s September meeting.
The current ordinance calls for a $10 fine for children and a $25 penalty for adults who permit the child to break curfew.
Related:• Underage curfew violators could face $1,000 penalty in Jeannette
• Jeannette's curfew ordinance update put on hold as officials fine-tune it
During a meeting in July, a council majority decided to put on hold an initial proposal that called for much heftier fines of up to $1,000. About a dozen members of the public spoke out against the ordinance during that meeting.
Witt said the latest version of the ordinance includes community service as an example for a supportive service that a child may be subject to if found in violation of the curfew. It also addresses rules from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency regarding detention of juveniles, he said.
The ordinance gives discretion to police and the district judge when determining what level of punishment the circumstances warrant, he said.
There are exceptions to the curfew such as if a minor is accompanied by a parent or involved in an emergency, at a neighbor’s home with permission, attending a public, school or religious event or going to or from work, among other reasons.
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