St. Paul police step up enforcement of curfew law against young people

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ST. PAUL, Minn.—On June 15, police here began enforcing a stiff curfew ordinance passed by the city council. This regulation is nothing but an unwarranted attack on St. Paul's Black youth who live in the Summit-University and Frogtown neighborhoods. Young people living in the Eastside working-class and Westside Chicano neighborhoods would also be subjected to police harassment resulting from the unreasonably harsh law.

Stepped-up curfew enforcement coincides with St Paul's rising youth unemployment and a decaying municipal infrastructure incapable of providing adequate social and recreational programs for inner-city youth.

The city politicians, mostly Democrats, refuse to tax the rich in order to maintain vital community programs and guaranteed youth employment. Instead, the Democrats have increased police powers to harass St.

Paul youth who are victims of these cutbacks.

St. Paul police will issue citations to children found on the street after 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, unless accompanied by an adult. If a child is cited and violent activities that take place late at night.

Fletcher continued, "It's a neighborhood issue designed to help control some of the disorderly activity and youth grouping that has begun throughout the country."

Let us debunk Lt. Fletcher's concern for child safety. The police are issuing criminal citations. They are not acting as benevolent community guardians attempting to reduce juvenile delinquency and inadequate parenting old in the s gests there: are put on t Streets is not notice Photo by: Iyna Henderson through caring dialoguebacked by a panoply programs they can refer parents to.

Councilman Bill Wilson, who helped author the strict curfew ordinance told the Pioneer Press, "People are calling in concerned ... there are kids six. seven. eight vears at 12 or 1 in the morning. That sugsufficient supervision. ... The parents that they are the ones who'll be cited, and they're the ones who'll have to appear in court."

But Bill Wilson must know that many of his constituents are at the beck and call of city industries operating 24 hours a day. How can parents afford childcare when their wages are $4 an hour? Perhaps working parents would rather keep their children fed, clothed, and housed rather than have their wages swallowed up by expensive childcare vendors.

Councilman Wilson and his cops have no right to tell parents how to raise their children.

Nor do they have the UHAUL THA right to impose curfews, especially when Wilson and his city government are cheating Black youth of meaningful recreational programs and employment and denying their parents access to 24-hour childcare. 6 months for $4 1 year for $8 itate Zip Army

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