Florence City Council considers plan to keep children in school

FLORENCE — Florence City Council members are considering a proposal that would prohibit youngsters who aren’t in school from being in public places during school hours.

Under the proposal, youngsters between the age of 6 and 16 would not be allowed in any public place within the city except school between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on any school day. A “public place” would include any street, highway, alley or right-of-way, to include sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, malls or any building open to the public; any cemetery, school yard, body of water or watercourse, any privately or publicly owned place of amusement, entertainment or public accommodation including parking lots and vacant lots and land.

A juvenile found in violation of the rule would be taken into custody by a police officer and returned to the custody of his or her parents or legal guardian. In cases in which the parent or legal guardian can’t be found, the youngster would be taken to another controlled, supervised environment such as a local teen center.

“There’s a lot of problems and crime that goes on in the middle of the day, and it’s being done by these kids who should be in school, ” said Councilman Ed Robinson, who presented the proposal during Monday’s regularly scheduled city council meeting. “We’ve got to do something to keep them in school. If they don’t go to school, they have no future. So what we want to do is to make it more comfortable to be in school than to be anywhere else.”

Robinson said he has been working on the curfew proposal with fellow councilman Billy D. Williams, school officials, law enforcement officials and other area leaders for several years. He said the proposal they’ve devised largely holds parents accountable for their children’s actions.

Under the proposal, the parent of a child found in violation of the curfew would face a written warning upon first offense. Second and subsequent offenses during the school year would be punishable by a fine of $100 per offense.

Florence Police Chief Anson Shells told council members he supports the proposal and sees it as a great preventative measure.

“We’ve got to do everything we can do to keep these children out of jail,” Shells said. “That’s what this is all about.”

Exceptions to the rule would include a juvenile:

• Who has written proof from school authorities that he or she is excused from school for the day.

• Who attends private school in which attendance requirements are different that that of public school.

• Who has been emancipated pursuant to the laws of the state.

• Who is accompanied by his or her parent or guardian or a responsible adult selected by the parent or guardian.

• Who is employed pursuant to an age or schooling certificate, during actual working hours or traveling directly to or from the job site.

• Who is receiving home education pursuant to the laws of the state.

Most of Robinson’s fellow council members voiced support for a curfew, but most said the details and provisions of such an ordinance need to be discussed and hammered out before any official ordinance is put to a vote.

“I think this could potentially save some children out there who with a little intervention won’t fall through the big crack,” Councilman Steve Powers said. “We need to work out the details, but I think it’s definitely needed.”

Councilman Bill Bradham said he isn’t opposed to a curfew, but thinks officials should tread lightly when dealing with other people’s children.

“I think this is a very needed program, but it’s a touchy program when you start dealing with other people’s kids,” Bradham said. “I’m not against it, but I’m going to need to put a lot of study into if before I’m able to cast a vote on it.”

The council agreed to study the proposal and discuss it further at its next meeting. Robinson said he has no problem with further examination of the proposal but would like to see council put a curfew in place by the time school resumes in the fall.