FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Matt Maisel
Director of Communications, City of Harrisburg
(717) 255-7295
[email protected]
September 11, 2023
HARRISBURG – The Harrisburg Bureau of Police will soon begin to reinforce a 2007 ordinance saying children under 18 years old must adhere to a curfew, unless out for an approved reason.
The “after hours” curfew states youth under the age of 18 may not be in a public place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday nights, and 12 a.m. midnight and 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Curfew regulations will not apply to youth attending an event, like a concert, school or religious function, or game. It will also not affect individuals coming home from work, or people traveling through the city.
Enforcement will begin this week.
A full list of conditions which curfew will not be enforced is as follows:
- The minor is accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult.
- The minor is involved in an emergency.
- The minor is engaged in an activity, such as work, a concert, or sporting event, or is returning home from said activity, without detour or stop.
- The minor is on the sidewalk directly next to their home
- The minor is attending an activity sponsored by a school, religious, or civic organization, which is supervised by adults, or is returning home from said activity.
- The minor is on an errand at the direction of a parent, with a signed note from the parent containing the following information: name, signature, address, and telephone number of the adult authorizing the errand.
- The minor is traveling through the city.
“We need to do a better job by our kids. This ordinance is to benefit them,” said Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams. “There is no reason why children should be out at night, disrupting neighborhoods and getting involved in fights.”
Any individual who attends the Harrisburg School District, and works at night, may pick up a work order form at the district’s enrollment center, located at 2900 N. 6th Street, between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Park in the north parking lot, and enter through Door 4.
Harrisburg Police officers will pick up any individuals caught violating the ordinance and return them to their home or place of residence, at which point they will only be released to a parent, guardian, or responsible adult. If someone is picked up who does not live in the City of Harrisburg, they will be held at the Public Safety Building, located at 123 Walnut Street, until a parent, guardian, or responsible adult arrives to pick them up.
“We plan on having additional enforcement details downtown during these times,” said Commissioner Thomas Carter. “The goal is not to be the bad guy here. We just want our kids to be safe.”
The entire enforcement of curfew ordinance can be viewed here.
