Abstract
Despite widespread adoption of juvenile curfews, little research evaluates their effectiveness in reducing crime and promoting juvenile safety. This study examines Vernon, Connecticut's nighttime curfew of youths younger than 18. Connecticut and FBI Uniform Crime Reports are used to compare Vernon's Part I crime trends to those of similarly sized Connecticut cities (including those without curfews), Connecticut as a whole, and 600 similarly populated cities nationwide. The results show that after the curfew took effect in 1994, Vernon experienced a smaller decline in Part I crime than did comparable cities or the state. Furthermore, examination of 410 individual curfew stop citations issued by Vernon police for 1995-1998 showed only seven of the cited youths were involved in criminal or suspicious activities; none were intoxicated or endangered. The curfew's main effect was to occupy police time removing law-abiding youth from public, creating emptier, less policed streets, and possibly enhanced opportunities for crime.
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