Residents reminded of juvenile curfew in borough
SHENANDOAH – A complaint from a west end resident after police complaints led to a reminder about the borough’s curfew ordinance at Monday’s council meeting.
Lori Irving complained to council Monday night that borough police had been called to the 500 block of West Coal Street regularly because of children playing.
“They’re outside, late at night, it’s summer, no school, but every night, the cops are being called on these children for playing in front of their door while I’m outside or their neighbor is outside,” Irving said.
An unidentified woman accompanying Irving said this is the second summer in a row that the police had been called regularly.
“Well, that is our ordinance,” Council President Katie Catizone told Irving.
“There was an adult,” Irving responded. “So you’re saying children cannot be outside at 10pm with their parents, at all?”
“Correct,” Catizone and Borough Manager Tony Sajone said in unison.
In Shenandoah, anyone under the age of 18 is not permitted on public streets between 10pm and 5am Sunday through Thursday and 11pm and 5am Friday and Saturday, with exceptions.
Those exceptions include if a minor is accompanied by their parent or guardian, is performing an errand at the direction of their parent or guardian, or their employment makes it necessary for them to be out past curfew.
However, those exceptions do not apply “when the person under age shall be playing or unnecessarily loitering in or upon said public streets, whether alone or accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other person or persons whatsoever.”
Violations could lead to a fine of up to $600 for the parent or guardian of the offending juvenile.
The ordinance has been on the books since 1967 and was amended twice in the 1990s.
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