Juvenile Crime Speech

Juevenile Crime is a very real threat we have today in the United States. Every year, juvenile crime rates increase. I understand that our community wants to institue a night-time curfew for teenagers under the age of seventeen. However, I do not believe that the proposed curfew for youths is the most efficeient or even legal way of handling juvenile crime in our community. Although a teenage curfew sounds like an appealing solution to juveinle crime, i think that it achieves very little.

The first thing we must look at is the legality of curfews themselves. under the first Amendment, all citizens have freedom of assmebly. This right is applicable to all people, even teenagers, at all times. By enforcing a teen curfew, we would be violating minors freedom of assembly and the Constituion. Thus, putting our community at risk of legality issues such as lawsuits.

Teenagers are also rebellious by nature. A curfew would only infurtiate teenagers and be resented by them. And, teenagers already involved in criminal lifestyles such as gangs, stealing cars, and carrying guns, will not accept a curfew and will do evrything in their power to break it. Teenagers will hate law officials and the community.

Another reason teen curfews are not suitable is because they are in a sense, unmoral. Curfews encroach on the rights of teenagers parents to control and raise their own children in ways the feel are suitable. Some parents would also find teen curfews annoying and down right interfeering to themeselves and their childrens lives. Minority groups could also become angered at a curfew. Some might feel inferior and think that law officials enfore it more on them, then on white people. This would most likely increase racial tension in our community.

The next thing we must look at is wether or not curfews are even effective at lowering juvenile crime rates. It is a fact that most juvenile crimes occur between the hours of 3 and 6 pm, so how would a night curfew make a real impact on juvenile crime rates? Instituting curfews would also be a hastle and costly to our community. I believe that a much more suitable alternative then curfews are neccessary. This could consist of some type of after school recreational or educational program. This type of program would provide for a safer and more constructive way of supervising teenagers during the afternoon hours, when juvinile crimes occur the most.

So, I urge you to consider against instutiting a youth curfew to diminsish juvinle crimes, and instead looking into more sensible alternatives. It is my opinion that a curfew would not be very beneficial or productive to our communtiy, and could, in a way, hurt out community.