By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post
School is out for summer, freeing up time for youth to find ways to keep themselves busy — however, roaming the streets of Hays at all hours of the night is not an option.
According to Hays Police Department Lt. Brandon Wright, the curfew is in place all year long and is intended to keep those 17 and younger safe.
Wright said there is a slight increase in curfew violations during the summer, noting many parents, guardians and youth are either unaware of the curfew or confused about the details.
The city of Hays curfew ordinance states:
“No minor shall be present in or on any public street, park, square, or any public place within the city between the hours of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between the hours of midnight to 5 a.m. Friday through Saturday, inclusive, without the knowledge and consent of a parent or legal guardian having the care and custody of such minor.”
Wright explained the law does not mean the youth must be at home at that time, but roaming the streets in public after curfew is not OK without the supervision or consent of their parents/guardians.
Wright added city curfews are common across the country.
“The intent is reasonable … to make sure our kids are safe and not roaming the streets in the middle of the night,” he said.
Wright added it is OK to be out past curfew if you are coming straight home from work, for instance, but stopping to hang out with friends at a public park or street would mean “breaking curfew,” if the child does not have parental permission or supervision.
Typically, Wright said when a youth engages in a curfew violations, the parents and guardians are called and the youngster goes home.
However, if the curfew violations occur repeatedly, especially in cases of a younger child, the Ellis County attorney could pursue charges and the youth could be placed in foster care.
“We would follow the same basic procedure for a younger person in most cases: Identify the child, ask them what they are doing and if their parents know where they are, contact the parents via phone or in person, ask them if they know where their child is and if they gave them permission to be out, inform them of the city’s curfew ordinance, etc.,” Wright said.
“If we do not think it is a child-in-need-of-care case, we would send, escort or transport the child home, depending on the circumstances,” he added. “If we do find it to be a CINC case, we would make arrangements for an alternate place for the child to stay – could be another of the child’s family members, could be temporary foster placement, could be a juvenile facility of some kind, depending on the situation.”
For more details on the Hays curfew, search the city of Hays website section of municipal codes.