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Story Archives: OPPJ wants legislative authority to adopt curfew for juveniles


OPPJ wants legislative authority to adopt curfew for juveniles
posted Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 @ 8:17 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
The Ouachita Parish Police Jury will ask the Legislature for "limited police power" to implement a curfew for juveniles.

The police jury agreed Monday during its regular meeting to ask local legislators to sponsor a bill to give the police jury the authority.

Police Jury president Walt Caldwell said District Attorney Jerry Jones and Sheriff Richard Fewell asked for a curfew. Caldwell said the sheriff's office has seen a rise in juvenile crime during the late evening and early morning hours.

"We do not have the authority to do this," Caldwell said. "At this point in time, basically all we can do is ask the Legislature to grant us that limited power to pass an ordinance."

Rep. Rosalind Jones and Sen. Mike Walsworth have both agreed to sponsor legislation during the regular legislative session to give the police jury the authority it is seeking, Caldwell said. The Legislature currently is meeting in its Regular Session.

Caldwell expects the district attorney's office and sheriff's office will lobby the Legislature to pass the legislation the police jury is advocating.

Police juror Charles Jackson said other parishes in the state have passed similar juvenile curfew ordinances without first seeking approval from the Legislature. Jackson, though, said he would not feel comfortable moving forward with a curfew measure until the police jury was granted the authority by the Legislature to do it.

"I think it's appropriate to do it the legal way," Jackson said. "I'll certainly support the sheriff if we have the power to pass an ordinance, but I think we need the legal standing to do that first."

Caldwell agreed, adding that without approval from the Legislature, a loophole could be created allowing someone to legally challenge the ordinance.

Parish attorney Jay Mitchell said the proposed legislation would grant all police juries in the state the authority to enact curfew ordinances.

If the police jury is granted the authority to pass a juvenile curfew ordinance, it will have the authority to recommend the time and age for those who would be affected. Typically, juvenile curfews affect those who are 17 and under.

Baton Rouge's juvenile ordinance says juveniles age 17 and under cannot remain in public places between 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. weekdays, and 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
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