Oneida council discusses possible juvenile curfew changes; legal limits cited
Summary
Councilors discussed a constituent-requested proposal to raise the juvenile curfew age to 18 and extend overnight hours; the City Attorney and Police Chief cautioned about constitutional and Raise the Age-related constraints and recommended further legal review.
Councilor Jones introduced discussion of a proposed amendment to the City's juvenile curfew ordinance to raise the applicable age from 16 to 18 and extend curfew hours from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., framing the measure as a response to vandalism and public-safety concerns. He suggested forwarding the idea to the City Attorney for preliminary review before pursuing legislation.
City Attorney Bell cautioned that New York law commonly defines minors as individuals under 18 and that changes to curfew language require careful legal review. Police Chief Lowell referenced litigation in Rochester that declared a juvenile curfew unconstitutional, noting the case centered on "constitutional concerns regarding restricting the freedom of minors who were not otherwise engaged in unlawful activity," and recommended examining Rochester's revised language and enforcement experience before proposing changes. Council agreed additional review was appropriate and took no immediate action.
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