A public hearing is scheduled Tuesday to learn whether local residents want to see a juvenile curfew remain in the City of Greenville.
The City Council intends to conduct the first of two public hearings during Tuesday’s regular session, starting at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 2821 Washington Street. A work session is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The Council would conduct a second public hearing during the April 9 meeting before voting on whether to renew the curfew ordinance for another three years.
Since 1995, juveniles in Greenville have been prohibited from being on local streets between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, between midnight and 6 a.m. weekends and between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. school days.
The ordinance does not apply directly to students who are home-schooled.
The Council voted unanimously to renew the curfew in 2010.
In a memo to the Council, Police Chief Daniel Busken noted that during the three years since, the City of Greenville had reported 785 juvenile offenses, detained 264 juveniles and had reported 520 juvenile victims, with a total of 61 violations of the curfew.
“During this review period, the total number of actual curfew violations has decreased,” Busken said. “The ordinance aids the Police Department in deterring juvenile crimes during the curfew hours. As in the past, increases in juvenile violations were during the hours between 2 p.m. – 10 p.m. when the ordinance is not in effect.”