Hodges offered his curfew idea in his State of the State address on Jan. 17, but has so far failed to provide details. It was sent to subcommittee for study, but already some civil liberty groups have voiced opposition. Cannon said curfews appear to be a case of good intentions channeled in the wrong direction. They realistically work only during short periods of time, as in the aftermath of a disaster when people know there will be an expiration time. Besides restricting teens' freedom, curfew enforcement could promote ill will between teens and police - a relationship that is already strained.
Many observers feel the effectiveness of curfews is a myth.
Most police agencies are reluctant to use them as a matter for primary enforcement. If a group of teens is hanging out after curfew and causing no problem, an officer on his way to a crime scene isn't likely to hassle them. Most likely, if a teen is out after curfew and commits another offense, the curfew violation simply would be tacked on to the more serious charge. Ford's bill does exempt teens who are attending late-night events such as church, school, work or other sanctioned activities. And once any curfew-related confrontation turns bad and escalates to a news event, community support for a curfew probably will decline quickly, Cannon predicted.