SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio group is pushing to get rid of youth curfews saying it leads to the criminalization of young minority groups.
Akeem Brown, chairman of My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio, led a panel Wednesday at the Mays Family Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Club to talk about how police should address the curfew problems instead of giving citations.
“When we you see a young black man or a young Latina, you instantly believe that if he's walking around at 2 p.m. in the afternoon, he’s up to no good,” Brown said. “How do we have officers engage that young man or woman and make sure they are navigated the appropriate way?”
The city of San Antonio reviews its youth curfew ordinance every three years. It’s set to be reviewed later this month.
SAPD said 228 curfew violations have taken place since 2015.
A citation could cost anywhere from $50 to $500 dollars.
Police do issue warnings and exceptions are included in the ordinance, such as a youth who has a job or is running an emergency errand for the family.
SAPD would not comment on the matter until it goes before City Council. Some parents like Alma Cervantes say they support police enforcing curfews.
“A lot of kids just get in trouble and they keep getting in trouble and parents don’t pay attention to that,” she said.
SEE CURFEW DATA FROM 2015 TO 2017
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