Clinton to plug city
curfew programs

May 30, 1996
Web posted at: 1:15 a.m. EDT

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bill Clinton will announce in Louisiana Thursday that he is endorsing the right of municipalities to use curfews in curbing gang violence. His aides say he will also release a Justice Department study showing that such curfews have proven to be both legal and effective.

He will also recommend that cities put curfews in place, taking minors off the streets after 8 p.m. on school nights, after 9 p.m. during the summer, and after 11 p.m. on weekends. Several municipal decisions to use curfews have become tied up in courts.

The Justice Department study cites the use of curfews in seven U.S. cities: Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans, Jacksonville (Florida), Chicago, Denver and North Little Rock (Arkansas). Of the seven, the New Orleans program comes closest to meeting the Justice Department's curfew criteria, which were specifically designed to withstand a constitutional challenge.

The Justice Department guidelines require that curfew programs provide some exceptions, and fulfill the following:

• Provide a curfew center to receive violators.
• Staff the centers with volunteers and social service professionals.
• Offer counseling or other referrals for families.
• Set up fines or community service sentences for repeat offenders.
• Provide recreation or jobs programs.
• Offer anti-drug and anti-gang programs.
• Establish hotlines for follow-up services.

The focus of the president's visit to Baton Rouge and New Orleans will be on the issue of teen-age violence. The trip is part of Clinton's effort to project a tough stance on crime.

Clinton's GOP rival, Bob Dole, has made the issue of crime his main theme in speeches this week in both Colorado and California. In fact, he delivered remarks on gang violence Wednesday at a Redondo Beach, California, event saluting local community activists who worked with police to clean up a local park and imposed a curfew to help clean up the area.

Clinton has endorsed the use of school uniforms as another aid in helping to curb teen-age crime.

Related stories:

• AllPolitics: Dole Campaigns for the Biggest Electoral Prize - May 29, 1996
• AllPolitics: Dole Stumps in Colorado

Related sites:

• Curfew undermines teen responsibility from The Humphrey Herald, Campbell County (Wyoming) High School
• Local leaders opposed to statewide teen curfew from the Hawkeye, Mountlake Terrace high school, Edmonds, Washington

Senior White House Correspondent Wolf Blitzer contributed to this report.

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