Controversial curfew from tonight

5:48pm Friday 25th July 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A controversial curfew targeting children and teenagers in the Close Hill area of Redruth started this evening.

The scheme dubbed “Operation Goodnight” is the brainchild of Redruth’s neighbourhood policing team and is due to run over the summer holidays until September 7.

From tonight, Friday, July 25, multi-agency patrols will be out on the streets and will talk to parents of any young people caught out after the 9pm-curfew deadline.

Letters explaining the scheme have already been sent to hundreds of homes in the area.

These asked parents in the Close Hill area to ensure children under ten were off the streets by 8pm and young people under the age of 16 are home by 9pm.

Police claim the curfew is to safeguard the welfare of all young people and reduce the risk of them becoming victims of crime and to “promote a greater sense of parental responsibility”

The “voluntary” curfew was launched at a public meeting on Strawberry Lane on Friday afternoon with representatives from Devon and Cornwall police and other agencies on hand to answer questions from a large crowd of parents.

Neighbourhood beat manager Marc Griffin said the curfew arose from Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings and responses to a dispersal order, which had existed in the area from October to January.

He said as issues of parents having responsibility for their children had been consistently raised as a key issue for the area, the police led multi-agency approach was aimed at putting responsibility back in the hands of the parents.

Mr Griffin said: “There is a lot of support and I have been surprised and pleased that young people have also been saying they support the scheme as it will mean they can go outside and enjoy themselves in safety.

The scheme has also gained widespread support among local politicians with MP Julia Goldsworthy calling it “a very interesting experiment”.

Redruth Mayor, Barbara Ellenbroek, has also thrown her weight behind the scheme.

Mrs Ellenbroek said: “It is encouraging so many residents came out today for the launch.

“It has to be a community effort and it will only work if the community take part and are behind the scheme.”

While those involved insist it is voluntary, the scheme has created a storm of protest with some libertarian groups calling it coercive.

Mother, Deborah Reynolds said: “It is not voluntary as they are threatening to contact social services and housing and take action.

“I asked what action but they did not answer my question.”

She added there must be different things they can do without targeting everyone and added her concern that when the curfew ends the area's children would “run riot”.

Alex Gask, legal officer for Liberty, said many police officers were "operating on the assumption that young people out in the evening were up to no good or at risk.

He added: "While the police should of course intervene if there is a real problem, young people shouldn't be challenged simply for being outside their homes."

The Home Office has asked officials in Redruth to keep it informed about the scheme and if it is successful, other towns may set up their own curfews.

Organisers have claimed the curfew has had a positive effect even prior to its offical launch on Friday.