Detroit parents whose teens are caught violating the city’s juvenile curfew will now face higher fines after a Detroit City Council vote this week.
It’s the first time the curfew fines have been raised in decades. First-time curfew violators will face a $250 penalty, and $500 for a second offense. The council also voted to remove jail time as a possible penalty for the parents of repeat offenders.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison had called on the council to take this step, and declared himself “elated” that they did so. He said it provides parents with more incentives to “know where their kids are” and make sure they’re at home before curfew.
“This is a step as far as accountability,” Bettison said. “But it's not about penalizing anyone. I just need to change behavior.”
Bettison said that if a family is truly struggling, the courts can work help them get needed services. “And so parents have a choice to make,” he said. “Pay the penalty, the fine, or take an option and get some resources.”
Bettison said stepping up curfew enforcement is just one tool —but a necessary one — that police need to help deal with a spate of juvenile gun crimes this summer, some of which have killed other children.
“We're going to hold individuals accountable,” he said. “And we're doing this out of love to ensure that our most valuable, precious individuals in the city of Detroit are safe."
But critics argue this strategy is likely to be ineffective, pointing out data doesn’t support the idea that curfews deter juvenile crime. They also say levying fines on already-struggling families could push some to the brink over a civil offense, leading to more instability and violence.
