The City of Colonial Heights has passed a new law concerning the curfew hours of anyone under the age of 18. In the past, the curfew time was set at 12:00 A.M., however, new changes have been made so that the curfew time for minors is between the hours of 11:00 P.M. until 5:00 A.M; it will be considered unlawful for any minor to be in or within the limits of Colonial Heights. If this law is broken there will be consequences for not just the minor, but the parent as well.
“Either obey the law or the minor and the parent both go to court,” Officer Butch Pearson said.
This new law in Colonial Heights is to protect the people within the city. Things can happen late at night, from drunk drivers driving recklessly to people shooting carelessly at one another; Colonial Heights is trying to reduce the number of juvenile accidents.
“There are too many risks that increase juvenile problems,” Pearson said.
According to the law, there are five reasons a minor may be exempt and may not be considered as breaking the law: 1) The minor has to be with a parent or legal guardian. This does not include being with a brother or sister who is 18 years of age or older. 2) If a minor is on the way home from a school event, religious event, or work, a person may be excused from the law. When the event is over the minor must return home immediately following the event. 3) If the minor is responding to a life-threatening situation on the way home or on the behalf of a parent or guardian the law will not be applied to that person. 4) The child is not to be more than 50 feet away from its residence. 5) You may be authorized by a parent or legal guardian for a designated period of time and purpose within a specific area.
“Anyone who helps a minor break the law purposely can be charged with contributing to the delinquent of a minor,” Pearson said.
Other counties nearby have not made any changes towards a new curfew. The new law in Colonial Heights is being examined on the effectiveness. If anything dramatic happens then the law will be passed in other neighboring counties, including Prince George County.
