BY VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — The Central Falls Police Department says a curfew enacted earlier this year for youths in the city will undergo some changes, to take effect on Halloween.

On Wednesday afternoon, the police department sent out an e-mail notifying local media of the imminent changes, including that the juveniles will be detained at the Wyatt Detention Facility “separate and apart from the adult population.” More specifics are expected to be revealed at a press conference in City Hall on Friday morning, the release stated.
The police statement described the new development as a “newly created partnership” between the police department and the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, to enforce the city’s “newly created Juvenile Curfew.” The city’s police chief, Col. Joseph Moran, indicated that his department intended to step up enforcement of the curfew, beginning on Halloween.
“It’s going to be enforced strictly,” Moran said. “It’s going to be like martial law after 9.”
Moran said he could not comment on the nature of the partnership with the Wyatt Detention Facility, noting that those details would be revealed at the press conference on Friday.
A 9 p.m. curfew was first initiated in the city following two deadly shootings that occurred in the city in April, one of which killed 19-year-old Helder Tomar of Pawtucket, the second taking the life of 16-year-old Edelmiro Roman.
On Monday, July 9, the City Council voted unanimously to approve revisions to the curfew, which had initially been implemented via an executive order by Moreau. Among the revisions was a clarified list of punishments for repeat offenders.
The police department’s statement credited Angelo Garcia, Director of the Channel One program for youths at the Ralph J. Holden Community Center, for his efforts to organize and seek input from youth on what should be done in the community following the shootings. Over the summer, Garcia helped organize the city’s first “Youth Summit,” in which a pre-selected group of local youths participated in an effort to devise solutions to the problem of youth violence in the city.