CBS 19 - The Eye of East Texas News - Mount Enterprise Imposes Curfew on Minors

Mount Enterprise Imposes Curfew on Minors

By Katy Sulhoff

MOUNT ENTERPRISE, TX (KYTX) - One East Texas town is concerned about juvenile violence, and police there now have a new way to crack down on the problem.

The City of Mount Enterprise is imposing a curfew for anyone under the age of 17. Getting caught out, after hours, could cost parents as much as $500. Mount Enterprise's top cop said the city is imposing the curfew to curb juvenile crime.

"Basically this is a small town," said Mount Enterprise City Marshall, David Collins. With a population of 525, his town stays pretty quiet.

"We'd like to keep it that way. That's why we get these ordinances in place so if we do have a problem we can contend with them at the time," he said.

The new curfew ordinance requires kids under 17 to be in by 11:00 p.m from Sunday through Thursday. That's extended to midnight on Friday and Saturday. The only exceptions to the ordinance are that the child be accompanied by an adult, there is an emergency, or that he or she is traveling to or from work, a school activity, or church.

Brandi Jo Newman likes the curfew.

"I have a new business and a big plate glass window with my logo right on it and I'm always afraid I'm going to show up in the morning and see a rock in the middle of my desk and have my window be broken into," Newman explained.

In fact, she said minors were to blame when a local grocery store's coke machines were broken into, and she's recently been a victim of crime.

"I actually had my house broken into last week and I live out in the Concord community," she said she can't be sure kids did it, but she's in favor of any effort to reduce crime.

"If you're bored, you're going to get into trouble," she said.

But now that the ordinance is in place, "The enforcement is really what I'm concerned about. we only have one city marshall here in town," Newman added.

But Collins said he can handle it.  

"Everybody basically knows I won't put up with a lot of nonsense...If they're out past curfew and they're not supposed to be, then cite the parents."

Not only can the kids and their parents get in trouble, but so can businesses who allow the minors to be out after curfew.

Mount Enterprise is the fourth city in Rusk County to impose a curfew ordinance in recent years. Henderson, New London, and Overton also have a curfew for minors.