Curfew complaints continue to climb
"I have had a positive response to the article in the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin about curfew issues and the lack of supervision of some of our young people," said Peabody police chief Bruce Burke. "The problem is the right people aren't reading it. The parents should be the ones reading and commenting on it, but they don't seem to get the message."
Burke has begun investigating a two-tier curfew ordinance similar to what the city of Hillsboro has.
"With that type of system, we can set an earlier curfew for younger kids and maybe cut down on some of the vandalism and damage," he said.
Burke said a two-tier system would require one group of youngsters to be home even earlier than the present curfew.
"We continue to get complaints," he said. "The group that is 13, 14, and 15 years old seems to be the problem group.
"They don't drive yet, so they are the ones on bikes and skateboards, the ones hanging around in groups. They tend to want to show off for one another," he added. "That is often a recipe for trouble. Kids seem to be more destructive these days as well.
"We will just have to crack down on them and get them home to their parents at an earlier hour."
A change in the curfew ordinance will have to be approved by Peabody City Council members and the ordinance published before it can be enforced.
