North Hanover teenagers may face 11 p.m. curfew

A public hearing on the measure will be held Feb. 24.

By: William Wichert
    NORTH HANOVER — Hanging out on township streets late at night may soon be a thing of the past for teenagers living in the community.
    At a public hearing on Feb. 24, the Township Committee will consider the final adoption of an ordinance that establishes an 11 p.m. curfew for minors.
    This ordinance, which was unanimously introduced at the Jan. 27 Township Committee, came just one day after acting Gov. Richard Codey signed Senate bill S-155 into law, allowing municipalities to enact ordinances that prevent minors from being on public streets during school hours.
    The township ordinance did not stem from a problem during school hours, but instead from an incident that occurred late at night in October, when a group of teenagers caused some property damage to a house, said Mayor Mike Moscatiello.
    "That’s when we realized we didn’t have any laws in place for curfews," said Mayor Moscatiello, who contended that teenage night owls are still not a widespread problem. "It’s (the ordinance) intended purpose is to prevent trouble. It’s not an ongoing problem in the town."
    As the draft ordinance was reviewed by the Police Department and the township attorney, the biggest remaining issue was the time of the curfew. The original proposal was 10 p.m., but Township Committeeman Bill Tilton said he suggested midnight. A compromise was ultimately reached at 11 p.m.
    "My feeling is government shouldn’t be involved in personal lives," said Mr. Tilton, who replaced Mayor Moscatiello as police commissioner this year. "Eleven o’clock is OK. I think it’s borderline. But certainly at 12 or one o’clock, for every child, there’s an issue."
    Although the specific penalty for violating the curfew is up to the discretion of the judge, the enforcement by the township police is not, Mr. Tilton said. If a police officer sees a teenager on the street after 11 p.m., he must file a complaint and then make sure the child gets home safely, he said.
    Breaking the curfew could result in a mandated period of community service for both the teenagers and their parents, Mr. Tilton said.