Township Committee votes 3-2 to end youth curfew
By:Laura Toto
The Township Committee voted 3-2 Wednesday night to repeal the curfew which restricted youths under the age of 18 from being in public places after 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the weekdays and midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends without an accompanying adult.
Mayor Joseph Tricarico, Deputy Mayor John Gelardi, and Committeewoman Christine Jensen voted to repeal the curfew. Committeeman Robert Mack and Committeewoman Sonya Anne Martin voted to keep it.
Mayor Tricarico said he thought about the curfew as the parent of three.
"I give them responsibility a little bit at a time," he said.
Ms. Jensen and Deputy Mayor Gelardi said they did not believe in punishing the majority of children because of a few at-risk teens.
Ms. Martin and Mr. Mack thought the curfew was a positive ordinance for Hillsborough because it helps parents regulate their children’s behavior.
"I have to agree with the mayor, 90-95 percent (the teens) are decent human beings," Mr. Mack said. "As a teacher for 37 years I’ve constantly come into contact with those juveniles."
Mr. Mack also said there are other ways adults regulate behaviors of minors, such as truancy and running away. He also said teens of the age of 18 cannot purchase alcohol and have restrictions placed on their driver’s license.
"It hasn’t proven to be a real problem and we haven’t had any groundswell of opposition tonight (from the public)," he said.
Ms. Martin saw the curfew as an issue of child safety and protection and a quality of life issue.
"Laws, rules and regulations are put there for their own protection," she said. "I believe it would be wrong to repeal the curfew when it is supported by the Chief, the Youth officer, and the Superintendent."