BY VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve revisions to the ordinance that established a 9 p.m. curfew for youth within the city, which had been enacted in the aftermath of two fatal shootings of local youths earlier this year.

The ordinance, which the council apparently gave Mayor Charles Moreau permission to enact in late April, mandated that those under the age of 18 be off the streets of Central Falls after 9 p.m. each night, providing strong penalties for adults who allowed their children to violate this rule.
However, Col. Joseph Moran, Chief of the Central Falls Police Department, recently proposed changes to the ordinance that would make it more lenient in some ways, with the larger goal of making enforcement of the curfew more realistic in the long term.
He noted that Police Capt. Clay Choquette and City Solicitor John Gannon had assisted in the drafting of these changes, with Gannon adding that ideas used in the ordinance had been garnered from similar pre-existing rules on the books in Charlottesville, Va., and Washington D.C.
“They’ve been using these ordinances since the ‘80’s,” Gannon said. “It wasn’t put together in a hurry. It was put together with a lot of thought and a lot of contemplation.”
Moran said he wanted to eliminate a rule requiring a permit for those working at a job from which they would get out after 9.
He also suggested that summons’ for the parents of offending juveniles be hand delivered when possible, rather than relying on the more costly option of certified mail, as had been done so far. The ordinance requires that the summons be signed by the parent or guardian of the youth in question.
The chief also suggested that punishment for curfew violations begin with a verbal warning for first offenders, and escalate to fines of $100, $200 and higher for repeat offenders. Those with more than three violations, he said, should be referred to family court. He said he would give the council an update on the success of the ordinance every six months, and that public notices should be posted when these updates occur, allowing for public input on any changes that may be made to the ordinance.
There were no visible signs of disagreement among council members regarding the ordinance at Monday night’s meeting. Councilman Richard Aubin moved that the council adopt the changes proposed by Moran, which they did with no dissenters.
“In my business and in my ward, I have heard nothing but favoritism of this ordinance,” said Councilman Patrick Szlashta.
Fellow council member Elizabeth Crowley noted that she had received a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union regarding the ordinance, which she did not discuss in detail. However, she too voiced support for the ordinance.
“The purpose of this ordinance is to protect students,” Crowley said. “And I think sometimes parents need help with that. I think generally, it’s been working.”