City council voted against the mayor’s proposed controversial youth curfew, ending a distracting debate that has been going on for months.
Mayor Keith Hobbs, who promised during his election campaign to be tough-on-crime, proposed creating a bylaw that would force young residents to stay indoors during the late night and early morning hours.
The initiative was meant to both protect the youth and help deter petty property crime some believe young residents are more likely to cause.
The initative had two major problems: the province has a curfew, albeit not enforced, in place through the Child and Family Services Act; and a curfew, even if enforced, will not tackle crime.
“If a person, youth or otherwise, is prone to committing a criminal offense, a city bylaw won’t act as a deterrent,” Police Chief Robert Herman told councillors Monday night.
That bit of common sense, and a list of flaws presented in a report by Thunder Bay’s crime prevention council, led council to wisely ground the curfew imitative. The end of the curfew debate is a defeat for the city’s rookie mayor, but Hobbs should look at it as an opportunity. For months this debate has eroded the credibility of his tough-on-crime rhetoric.
Now with the curfew initiative snuffed, Hobbs has a chance to call a mulligan and present a real initiative that may begin to curb violent crimes.
Mayor Keith Hobbs, who promised during his election campaign to be tough-on-crime, proposed creating a bylaw that would force young residents to stay indoors during the late night and early morning hours.
The initiative was meant to both protect the youth and help deter petty property crime some believe young residents are more likely to cause.
The initative had two major problems: the province has a curfew, albeit not enforced, in place through the Child and Family Services Act; and a curfew, even if enforced, will not tackle crime.
“If a person, youth or otherwise, is prone to committing a criminal offense, a city bylaw won’t act as a deterrent,” Police Chief Robert Herman told councillors Monday night.
That bit of common sense, and a list of flaws presented in a report by Thunder Bay’s crime prevention council, led council to wisely ground the curfew imitative. The end of the curfew debate is a defeat for the city’s rookie mayor, but Hobbs should look at it as an opportunity. For months this debate has eroded the credibility of his tough-on-crime rhetoric.
Now with the curfew initiative snuffed, Hobbs has a chance to call a mulligan and present a real initiative that may begin to curb violent crimes.
