Teen Curfews Restrict Nights Out

A student sets and alert to ensure she gets home before
curfew. Photo courtesy of Ellen Bombela.

Ellen Bombela

News Editor

Nowadays, teenagers have a lot of activities that keep them out late at night, whether it is school activities, work, or hanging out with friends. With teens being actively involved in night life, two Iowa towns have modified their curfews in order to better regulate the flow of students.

In the towns of Montrose and Burlington, according to the Des Moines Register, “the under-18 crowd in Montrose (and Burlington) by law will need to be safely sequestered indoors from 10 pm-5 am all week.” The exceptions to this rule are students that are coming back late from school events or jobs, or if they are with an adult. Officials in the towns said that the new curfew was put into effect to help keep students out of trouble. 

In the same article, City Councilwoman Mary Van Pelt stated that “when you’re in a small town like this, you don’t have much for the kids to do, so they spend their nights in the park.” 

While some people in our community may have their own speculations about whether the curfews in those Iowa towns are good or bad, many people are not aware that towns that we live in have similar curfews.

The curfew in Altoona for anyone younger than 18 years of age is 11 pm-5 am Sunday-Thursday, and 12 am-5 am on Friday and Saturday. According to the code of ordinances for Altoona, a police officer is supposed to arrest minors who violate the curfew, and “upon arrest, the minor shall be returned to the custody of the parent, guardian, or other person charged with the care and custody of the minor.”

Many students, including senior Mary Dahl, do not have a problem with the curfew, since there are exceptions when it comes to school events and jobs.

“I think that it is a good rule, because people don’t need to be out that late,” said Dahl.