MORE-ENFORCEABLE CURFEW REQUESTED

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 14, 1992                   TAG: 9201140298
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
MORE-ENFORCEABLE CURFEW REQUESTED
Roanoke's curfew for youth needs major revisions to make it more effective in curbing late-night gatherings on sidewalks, in parking lots and other places, City Manager Bob Herbert said Monday.
But Herbert said no curfew will be effective without the support of parents, schools, churches and community groups.
Unless parents take responsibility for their children, police and other officials can't eliminate all problems caused by youngsters on the streets late at night, he said.
Herbert said he has appointed a committee of social workers, juvenile court judges, detention home officials, police and private citizens to review the curfew and related problems.
The committee is contacting other cities to determine how they have dealt with late-night gatherings of young people. Herbert said it may take changes in state law for the city to develop a more effective curfew.
The curfew is outdated because it requires everyone under 18 to be off the streets by 10 p.m. and doesn't make any other distinction in ages, Herbert said.
But he said it is still enforced in some situations because it is a tool police can use as a last resort when there are no other violations.
A citizens group urged City Council on Monday to revise the curfew so it will be more enforceable.
James R. St. Clair Jr., speaking for Concerned Citizens of Roanoke, said police have told the group the curfew is difficult to enforce because violators can't be jailed. Police also say they don't have enough manpower to take all youngsters home to their parents or juvenile court officials when they violate the curfew, St. Clair said.
He said there should be different curfews for different age groups, such as 9 p.m. for children under 12; 10 p.m. for ages 13-15, and a later time for 16- to 17-year-olds.
Herbert acknowledged the curfew isn't enforced in all cases, but he said police use it 25 to 50 times a month.
The city manager said he is glad that citizens' groups are interested, but the problem can't be solved solely with a tough curfew strictly enforced.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB