Ruling Against Curfew Won’t Deter Other Towns

Even though Bellingham’s curfew law has been ruled unconstitutional, police departments around the state say they will continue to enforce such ordinances.

The Washington Court of Appeals ruled this week that Bellingham’s curfew infringes on minors’ freedom of movement and expression.

But leaders of other cities say they will keep enforcing their local laws until ordered to stop.

“Our curfew was written with more specifics than Bellingham’s, and it was based on a curfew ordinance from Dallas … that has withstood court challenges,” Tacoma police spokesman Jim Mattheis said.

Tacoma, Everett, Yakima, Kent, SeaTac, Oak Harbor, Granger, Toppenish and Algona also have curfews.

Most curfews allow exceptions for travel to work or school events.

Normandy Park has banned juveniles from the streets between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. since 1966. Police Chief Rick Kieffer said the town’s practice of turning curfew violators over to parents might make it difficult for anyone to challenge the law.

“If you don’t take them to court and you take them home and turn them over to their parents, who are they going to appeal to?” he said.

While curfews may be under fire from the courts, condemned by civil libertarians and hated by kids, they do help protect young people and their communities, law-enforcement officials said.

Tacoma police reported a drop of nearly 30 percent in juvenile arrests after instituting a curfew in January 1995.

Everett police, who began enforcing a downtown curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in 1994 and extended it citywide in 1995, say the law has worked, with fewer kids getting into trouble. Violators are turned over to their parents or guardians, not arrested, Everett police spokesman Elliott Woodall said.