The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-12
GOOD FROM CURFEW LAW
REPORT OF SECRETARY BUTLER, OF
STATE CHARITIES BOARD.
Where the Law Has Been Enforced
the Number of Children Arrested
Has Greatly Decreased.

Amos W. Butler, secretary OF the State
Board of Charities has prepared a sum-
MARI of the working of the curfew law in
different counties. Mr.. Butler said the law
is doing great good. lie has Travelled ex-
tensively OF late. and has given careful
consideration 10 this particular subject He
says: In its studies of the causes of
crime and preventive measures employed
IN different localities i'm Indiana, the Board
of State Charities has made inquiry con-
corning curfew ordinances. 1t is interest
ing TO note that, without exception, the
places where this law is operative and
forced. report an Improvement in the con-
ditions relating to Juvenile delinquency.
The ordinance is reported to be unsatis-
factory where il is not enforced.
THE mayor OF chief of police has
ported for each OF thiTty-one of forty-twO
cities in Indiana having a population of
5000 or more. indianapolis reported quite
a lessening of juvenile arrests, when the
curfew law was enforced. Evansville re-
ports the law enforced and a reduction of
seventy-fve per cent. in the number of
arrests of children. At Fort Wayne, where
it is said to be fairly well observed, there
= IS said TO be a fifty per cent decrease in
c'te nuGTS-rA-f arrests of children. Officials
al South Bend think it has had a good eff
feet, but do not think the number of ar
rests has decreased. Terre Haute officers
say the curfew ordinance is enforced with
good results. The arrests of children there
have lessened. it is said, seventy-five per
cent.
"Or the cities ranging from 10000 to 5000
In population, report was had from nine
out of fourteen. Two. Michigan City and
Lafayette, report no ordinances on this
subject OF the other cities. LapOrte alone
-
Its enforcement. Anderson tells of a de-
crease of seventy-five per cent In juvenile
arrests. The law is said to have exerted
greater moral effect than antici-
pdted. ih0hOm0 reports a decrease OF forty
per cent in children's arrests Logans-
Port anu NeW AIoahy, MY per cent; AT
Marion, scarcely any children are said TO
be arrested now. Muncie and Jefferson
Vile both think well of the ordinance.
Eighteen OF the twenty-three smaller
reported Four. SheibyViiIe. Goshen. it Con,
nersville, and Mishawaka, do not have cur
few laws. In Frankfort. Bloomington and
The mayor OF Laporte writes that il is
fairly we'll enforced In his city. but that
he sees no differences in conditions Sub
stantially the same report comes from
Alexandria, though il is said there Is less
complaint Of wrongdoing among children.
number of children arrested. In Bedford
Greensburg. Peru and Washington, the law
Is favorably regarded. and the results are
ROOd.
'',rhe MAYOR of Wabash says that the law
IS thoroughly enforced possible i'm
that city, and that il has a good moral
effect on the community. There are now
no complaints of children being on the
streets and causing disturbances, and the
noisy congregating of boys on street cor
ners has been entirely broken up In
Richmond il is felt that the law has had a
good effect and prevents much crime
among boys. Seventy-five per cent fewer
children are now arrested than before the
ordinance Of
Huntington reports that though the law
has not been strictly enforced in his city.
the moral effect has been good and the
law has resulted I'm a reduction of fifty
per cent IN the number of children ar
rested In Columbus and Seymour the law
Is he'd In high esteem, and in the opinion
of the officials of those cities has been the
cause of a great lessening in the the num-
Der of delinquent children"