Citizens speak out on issue

After listening to comments by 10 area residents on the issue of curfew for juveniles, the Eufaula City Council voted at a special meeting on April 23 to tweak the existing curfew ordinance.

They rejected a request by Police Chief David Bryning for the council to change the ordinance to make the curfew 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day.

The old ordinance failed to state curfew hours on Fridays, which law enforcement offices and others found confusing.

The new ordinance lists the curfew hours as: Friday – 12 midnight to 6 a.m. Saturday.

Saturday – 12 midnight to 6 a.m. Sunday.

Sunday – 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday.

Monday – 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday – 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Wednesday – 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday.

Thursday – 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday.

Bryning first brought the confusion to the attention of the city when officers were having difficulty determining whether the suspects were violating the ordinance.

He said his department will work with those hours.

“Hopefully, we will get parents’ help,” he said.

Bryning said at least the controversy stirred by the request for the dramatic change brings to light the issues are dealing with.

The meeting began with Eufaula Police Sgt. Mike Harris, the school resource officer, making a presentation similar to one he made a week earlier.

He used video to demonstrate altercations between youths and to show the difficulty officers have controlling juveniles who don’t respect them.

“We don’t purport to be parents or to know what’s best for parents,” he said.

Officers, he said, aren’t out to stop juveniles from enjoying themselves late at night.

“This is a last resort. We want children to be respectful, have fun, and get home safely. But we know some children will disregard anything we say.”

Harris said he found it reprehensible that some people were accusing the police of issuing citations to juveniles only as a means to generate income for the city.

He said that was false. “Our mission is to protect the people of Eufaula, not to generate income,” he said.

Many people objected to the hours proposed earlier by the police department, and several attended the special meeting to express their opinions.

However, the consensus of police and citizens at the end of the meeting was that the community needed to work together to solve the problem of juveniles out late at night, especially those who are involved in violence and destructive behavior.

Patty Daniel told the council two of her grandchildren, who were visiting Eufaula, had confrontations with juveniles.

Her granddaughter and a friend went to the volleyball court at the cove but were harassed by a group of juveniles who followed them home and fired air guns at them.

On another occasion, she was working on plants on Main Street with her grandson when a carload of juveniles drove by and fired an air gun at him.

“This is not acceptable,” she said. “Something has to change.”

While everyone said something must be done, few had concrete answers, but for Carol Albro.

She said studies have shown that curfews don’t work.

“They create hate, fear and lack of respect for police officers,” she said.

Police, she said, play a crucial role in addressing the juvenile problem.

But they aren’t the only solution.

She said curfews send well-behaved juveniles home early and the problematic juveniles are not likely to comply with the ordinance.

Empty streets, she said, can lead to an increase in violent crime, “and not necessarily by youth – curfews may strain relations between police, teens and families.”

She offered her proposals to address the problems:

• create recreational activities for youth, especially from low income families.

• Develop community facilities like recreation and gaming centers.

• Promote community services and offer courses for teens and parents on various life skills.

• Explore opportunities for new sports, such as lacrosse, swimming, boating, ice skating, boxing and more.

For several decades, Eufaula had a vigorous boxing program.

“The responsibility to solving the problem lies with the entire community,” she said.

Retired School Superintendent Jeanette Smith noted that during her years with the schools there were problems with some juveniles, at noon, at 5 p.m., at 10:30 p.m.

“I don’t think curfew is the answer to the problem.

Ultimately, she said, parents must be held responsible for their children.

Shana Streets, who moved to Eufaula 2 ½ years ago from Norman, said Norman had the same problems as Eufaula.

“I feel like it’s going to take a lot of people getting together and brainstorming,” she said.

Juveniles gathering in the parking lot at Braum’s has been an issue.

Streets said her husband works with Braum’s corporation and he brought the issue to the attention of executives with the organization. As a result, the parking lot is getting new lighting and signs controlling parking.

“They want to work with the police department,” she said.

Former Police Chief Mark Goodwin said the curfew has always been a problem.

“Curfew can work,” he said. “I saw it work when Don Murray was police chief. You could drive through town at 10 at night and anyone sitting down, the police would write a ticket. Finally, the kids left and would come into town.

“What I did, I told the kids to go downtown and enjoy themselves, just don’t throw trash, fight or do donuts on the streets.

“One night I went to the cove and met with 150 kids. I talked to them and said you’re going to ruin this.”

He said it’s important to let them know you’re on their side.