Daytime curfew holds parents accountable

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Mobile's daytime curfew is now in effect, which means anyone under the age of 17 found wandering the streets during the day could be in trouble with police.  

Juvenile Judge Edmond Naman said the curfew is one more way to keep track of kids and keep them on the right track.

Tuesday marked day one of the curfew and at least one parent found herself in trouble with the law.

Jennifer Brannon was picked up and charged with four counts of parents held accountable.

The Mobile County Sheriff's Office said Brannon wasn't sending her four kids to school.

Mobile County Juvenile Judge Edmond Naman said the daytime teen curfew is just another tool to fight truancy.

"I am real hopeful that we're going to see some of the glamour of being suspended gone. Kids will not be able to roam around or cause havoc at the mall," Naman said. "Kids are going to have to be inside their homes. So, I think it may cut down on crime and keep kids in school more."  

The daytime teen curfew goes into effect Tuesday. It calls for all kids 17 and under to be off the streets during regular school hours.

"That is the time when we see the most crime by juveniles," Naman said. "A lot of our crime and problems in this community stem from kids not being where they need to be, and not having people to take care of them to be successfu. And we can't stand for that any longer."  

Judge Naman said last year 800 families came before him charged with truancy.

He said more space is being created on his docket to hear more cases, which means more people could be in trouble if they don't obey the law.

Teens that are picked up for violating the teen curfew will be brought to the teen curfew center in downtown Mobile.

It is a police precinct with extra space and will serve as a holding facility for teens until a parent or responsible adult can be reached.

The daytime curfew is only on school days between school hours that are 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Mobile's night time curfew went into effect November 1.