A curfew for Allen teenagers will stay in place for the next three years.
The curfew was originally established in 2007 to help reduce crime committed by and against juveniles. It states that kids ages 10 through 16 can’t be in a public place or on the premises of any establishment after 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday or midnight on Friday and Saturday.
The curfew doesn’t apply if juveniles are with a parent or guardian, on an errand for their parent or guardian, at a church/school event or work-related activity, or dealing with an emergency.
Juveniles who stay out too late can face fines of up to $500. Their parents can be fined if they knowingly permit—or, by insufficient control, allow—children to break curfew. Owners, operators and employees who allow juveniles to hang out in their establishments past curfew may also be subject to the fine.
Despite encountering hundreds of juveniles who break curfew, Allen Police issue citations sparingly. They’ve encountered nearly 800 interviews with juveniles out too late since 2016, yes issued only 17 citations in that time. Juveniles can have the fine removed by participating in Allen’s Teen Court program and completing community service as determined by a jury of their teenage peers.
The city must review its curfew ordinance every three years, in accordance with state law. City council members voted to keep the curfew in place until 2022 during the June 25 meeting.