Thursday, June 17, 2010

Curfew!

The following is a copy of a letter posted to "Pulse of the People" in our Troy Record regarding the Curfew; Please read and feel free to comment. I would like to hear your comments and also any experiences you have had or known others to have regarding this late night activity that is causing so many problems. Or any issue you have with what we have written. This is your Forum for thoughts and opinions.

Tina

We Deserve a Curfew

As I read the paper today and turned to the opinion column, I have to say I was more than dismayed over what I read. The column was written regarding the recent enforcement of the "Curfew Law" in Troy. In the June 10 edition of The Record, Jim Franco wrote his opinion on the same subject and I have to say I agree more with Jim Franco. Also previous to these two writings there was another story right after the weekend enforcement, of people that made statements stating that it was unconstitutional or a violation of the underage children's rights.
Thila Bell, Nina Glandz and myself have co-chaired the combined North Central/South Lansingburgh Neighborhood Assn. for over 12 years. The most common complaint we hear at the meetings is that people are out on the streets late at night disturbing residents sleep, vandalizing property, partying and other quality of life disturbances. We and our groups have been asking for years to put out occasional "details" to put an end to this. We have a new Chief with the Police Department, and he is listening to us, and started the enforcement. Now we have people who are not affected by these late night activities, who feel that they need to jump in and tell us "why" it isn't needed, or how it violates the constitutional rights of those who choose to thumb their noses at the law. Laws are put on the book to be obeyed. Why do certain factions think that they are there only to be ignored? Towns and cities put laws in to their ordinance to make life livable and keep the residents happy and safe. Chirldren under 18 years of age have no business being out that late. Why do they need to be on the streets at that hour and why are their parents allowing it?

The following are our thoughts:
-Parents are just as guilty for endangering their children's lives by not supervising them, so they should be punished with the child.
-If the Parent protests, they should be reported to Child Protection Services and let the government get involved as they are endangering their child.
-The Malls prohibit teens and younger from the malls without a parent accompanying them.
-Mr. Guynup would not have gotten injured if they were home with their parents. The Parents in this case should also be charged.
-Neither North Central nor the black youth are being targeted on this. Anyone out past the curfew is being targeted. North Central just seems to have the most kids roaming the streets at three and four in the morning and where 'would' it be enforced, where there aren't any problems?
-Lastly just whose 'rights' are being violated? The poor suffering people who are trying to get some sleep so they can work the next day and pay for the vandalism to their houses and cars, or the creepy noisy little vandals roaming the streets at night? Put that to the test. Our vote goes to 'our' rights. Where in the Consitutution does it say that kids under 18 have the "right" to go out and disturb people late at night and pillage others property?

Retirement Communities, and gated communities all have their laws for quality of living they have all agreed on and no one is challenging those. If you don't like the laws of your village, town, City or state, move. That would make most of us happy.
If you are not having these problems in your area, thank your lucky stars and enjoy your sleep. But we are, so please let the citizens, the Police and the Public officials in our area handle it the way the laws state, and keep your opinions to issues that affect you. We aren't trying to run your neighborhood, please don't try to run ours.
We have suffered in our area long enough and we would like more people to agree with our efforts of remediation and let us enjoy the same privileges others have in this city.
Please help us make this city a place to enjoy living and be able to hear people say, "hey, you know, I LIKE living in Troy."

Tina Urzan, Thila Bell and Nina Glandz