Although the results of a recent poll suggest otherwise, the chief of the Estevan Police Service says a curfew for local youths is not necessary.
In a recent interview with The Mercury, Chief Del Block said a curfew in Estevan would punish the bulk of local youths for the actions of a select few who frequently run afoul of the law.
"I think a very high percentage of the youth in this community are responsible and they do have good attitudes," Block said. "I doubt that we deal with 10 per cent of the youths in this community."
The issue of a curfew for Estevan youths was recently raised on the weekly poll question on estevanmercury.ca where 68 per cent of the 100 respondents replied yes.
A number of people also voiced their opinion on the Estevan Mercury's Facebook page and the topic drew some sharp responses.
"Yes, and some adults as well," said one respondent while another replied "yes, way too much crime going on by youths."
At the other end of the spectrum, respondents felt that parents need to step up and not abdicate their responsibilities to the police.
"What has happened to our parenting skills? Or lack of! Why should the police have to enforce something us as parents should be doing," said one poster on the site. "No curfew is needed. Parents need to learn to parent again and the law needs to become tougher on young offenders," added another.
Block said the topic of a curfew has also made its way to City Hall. Block said the idea was discussed at a recent meeting of the Estevan Board of Police Commissioners where he expressed his opposition to a curfew.
Like many of the posters on The Mercury's Facebook page, Block feels the onus should fall to the parents who are allowing their children to roam the streets at night and create problems.
"I truly believe that parents need to take more ownership of the kids that are out there after hours. I'm not talking about kids out in legitimate hours but anybody under the age of 16 for sure, does not need to be out on the streets at two or three in the morning," he said.
"They just possibly can't be up to good at that hour and if they aren't looking for trouble, it will find them out at that hour."
Block said although his officers have found some youths out in the early morning hours, it is not a serious issue. In cases when they do, he noted that EPS officers will often stop and speak with the youths and sometimes give them a ride home.
However, he maintains that the youths out late at night make up a small percentage of Estevan kids and that the majority of kids are not an issue.
"I do not think the youth in this community are out of control," he said. "I would hate to a see a law put in that would punish everyone when in fact not everyone is the problem.
While the topic of whether or not a curfew is necessary is one part of the discussion, Block said enforcement is another. He noted with the increase in crime in the Estevan area, EPS officers are already extremely busy and simply don't have the time to handle a curfew which he described as a "glorified babysitting service.
"Our members right now are going from call to call on night shift and especially on weekends," Block said. "And if you are not going to enforce it, why would you even put it in? I think it could work in the opposite way it's intended if it's not enforced."
Mayor Gary St. Onge, who is a member of the police board, said although they discussed the topic, they too, did not feel it was needed at this time.
The mayor added that in speaking with other communities that have tried a curfew, the consensus was it didn't work. He added that any move by the City to institute a curfew would be to provide the police service with the tools to handle whatever problems may exist.
"I'll give you an example, the urinating on the street (bylaw). When we came forward with that, it had been done somewhere else, (the police) said that would give us a real good tool and that it is a problem. In this case, they didn't feel they needed that at this time."
