"Speak Out" is an expression of opinion from the Editorial Board of WBTV, and is presented by General Manager, Nick Simonette.
There's no good time for a youngster to get into mischief.
But more and more often, it seems like many teenagers are out and up to no good after midnight.
Now it's time to change Charlotte's curfew ordinance.
Right now, it only pertains to children 15 and under.
But city leaders want to raise the limit to include 16 and 17-year-olds.
Now we agree.
Recent uptown events have emphasized the problem.
In each of the past five years, nearly two hundred 16 and 17-year-olds have been arrested between 11pm and 6am.
Now with a few exceptions, there's no reason for our young people to be wandering the streets during those hours.
Shouldn't they be home getting a good night's rest?
Deciding which college to attend?
Certainly, they should be more concerned about their prom pictures than their mug shots.
We think raising the curfew age would decrease the number of teens being arrested or otherwise getting in harm's way.
Now if you agree, tell your City Councilman.
But if you don't, please come up with an idea to keep 16 and 17-year-olds off the streets at night.
The best remedy is for parents to take responsibility and keep tabs on their children.
But until that universally occurs throughout Charlotte, let's give the City a tool to help them keep our kids safe.
Tell us what YOU think. SpeakOut@wbtv.com.
