Vandalism prompts debate over curfew in Northwood

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 29, 2001

NORTHWOOD, Iowa – In response to a summer-long rash of vandalism, the Northwood city council is fine-tuning a curfew ordinance that will allow police to detain youths until their parents pick them up.

Wednesday, August 29, 2001

NORTHWOOD, Iowa – In response to a summer-long rash of vandalism, the Northwood city council is fine-tuning a curfew ordinance that will allow police to detain youths until their parents pick them up.

Email newsletter signup

Recent damage to the city’s swimming pool, water tower, library and park is adding up, said councilor Doug Helgeland. City workers recently removed the town’s signature drinking fountain on Main Street because vandals had clogged it with rocks.

&uot;We’re getting close to $25,000 or $30,000 worth of damage just this summer from vandalism,&uot; Helgeland said. &uot;Everybody is very concerned, not only about our tax dollars, but also the safety of our children and our property.&uot;

The council reviewed sample ordinances from neighboring north Iowa communities such as Garner, Britt, Lake Mills and Forest City, considering what ages should be affected, what times are reasonable and what exceptions should be made.

&uot;Practically every town in the area has a curfew ordinance. I think we’re just about the only one that doesn’t, and we see now that we need one,&uot; said councilor Don Anderson.

Jim Danner, a resident who favors the ordinance, said the law must be applied with a zero-tolerance attitude.

&uot;I think if you’re going to have a policy, then you can’t make any exceptions for certain kids. I don’t care who their parents are,&uot; Danner said.

Police chief Leo Dorsey, who is still looking for the vandals, said the ordinance would give his officers another tool to help deal with delinquency. It would also help ensure the safety of the city’s youth, he said. But he hopes the council will enact a measure that does not distinguish between younger and older teens.

&uot;I support it. My only reservation is I hate to differentiate between ages,&uot; Dorsey said. &uot;That makes enforcement more complicated.&uot;

Jim Medlang came to the meeting to voice his opposition, saying the city should leave it to parents to keep track of their kids.

&uot;I’m a responsible parent. I have a daughter, and I make it a point to know where she is,&uot; he said.

A curfew could also criminalize what is probably harmless behavior by most teenagers, Medlang said.

&uot;I agree something has to be done about the vandalism, but we don’t want to make the kids feel like criminals. Most of our kids are good kids,&uot; he said.

The point of a curfew ordinance, said Helgeland, is to encourage parents to keep tabs on their teenage children.

&uot;I’m not looking to punish the children, I’m looking to punish parents that are neglectful,&uot; he said.

The council opted to draft an ordinance for their next meeting, but Mayor Bob Perry gave councilors a number of issues to think about in the meantime, including the role of businesses that area teens frequent, contingency plans if parents or guardians can’t be located, and the possibility that teens will begin congregating outside city limits.

&uot;We have to think this through, but I think everyone at this table is of the mind that we have to look into this further. I think the town wants us to,&uot; Perry said.