Miami Police to Begin Enforcing Curfew on Kids Under 17

In response to a string of violent crimes involving teens, Miami police have announced they will begin enforcing a previously approved curfew on all youths under 17 beginning Thursday.

Curfew hours are 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, reported NBC News.

According to police, children under 17 are no longer allowed to "linger, stay, congregate, move about, wander, or stroll in any public place in Miami-Dade County, either on foot or in a vehicle during curfew hours."

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A similar curfew was imposed in Miami during the summer of 2011, again in an effort to keep children safe, reported CBS Miami.

Exceptions to the curfew include among others if a minor has written permission to run an errand from a parent or guardian, is commuting to or from work, traveling interstate, or is accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or someone over 21 years old who has permission to be responsible for the child.

Reaction to the curfew from adults interviewed by NBC News was overwhelmingly positive, with Pete Soriano of Team Pete Sports welcoming the curfew enforcement.

"You know what's going on. You got drug dealing, you got shootouts, kids getting killed left and right," Soriano said.

A similar sentiment was shared by Benjamin Hanks, a manager at Overtown's Gibson Park, who recalled an incident that occurred last September at his park that left three people shot during a youth football night game.

"I think it's overdue that we need cops' supervision, more for preventive measures for the safety of people," said Hanks, adding a police presence, and the curfew, will lead to safer streets across the city.

Reactions were mixed from a local youth basketball team, the players on which would be directly affected by the curfew.

"I don't really need a curfew," player Keith Stewart said, "but I do feel that a curfew is important because young kids like my age are dying in the streets."

Fellow player Robert Sanchez added, "Make them go home, do a little homework, get them home early."

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As of 2009, at least 500 U.S. cities had curfews on teenage youth, according to The City Mayor's Society, a think tank dedicated to urban affairs. How many of those cities actually enforced the curfew is unknown.

Related stories:

Dusk-to-Dawn Curfew Imposed in New Orleans

Philly Flash Mobs Not Solved With Curfews