Southern Delaware town’s 11 p.m. teen curfew draws mixed reviews

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In an effort to tackle ongoing crime amid a growing population, the town of Seaford, Delaware passed a measure creating a curfew for young people this week.

Seaford Mayor Matthew MacCoy said town council’s approval Wednesday gives him the authority to put a curfew in place via an executive order when necessary.

“What this will do, it will prohibit juveniles from being out between the hours of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Sunday,” MacCoy said.

Seaford Police Chief Marshal Craft presented the initial proposal at a City Hall meeting three weeks ago, explaining that while Seaford has never implemented a curfew before, it could be an essential to enhancing public safety.

“This is really a tool in the toolbox that provides the law enforcement department with an opportunity to try to increase the safety of juveniles because bad things can happen late in the middle of the night,” he said. “Also to prevent the opportunity for kids to … create mischief and havoc out there and commit violations.”

According to the state’s crime mapping, from June 1, 2021 to June 1, 2024, there have been a total of 528 complaints involving juvenile suspects or defendants between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. in Seaford. While this suggests a consistent trend, there is no conclusive data showing an increase in juvenile crime in recent years.

Out of those complaints, “34 juveniles are listed as suspect defendants in 107 various types of criminal offenses, 22 of those 107 were domestic related,” Craft said. “Of the whole 528, 93 complaints were domestic related involving juveniles.”

With the ordinance now passed, it won’t be implemented immediately. Instead, the curfew will only take effect if the mayor issues an executive order. Meanwhile, leaders will begin promoting the curfew to ensure the community is aware of the new rules, which will primarily apply to public spaces, emergencies and in response to escalating negative trends.

“Public places would be things such as streets and parks and shopping centers and similar areas accessible to the general public,” Craft said. “Emergencies could consist of fires, natural disasters, accidents or even crime waves and things of that nature.”

Seaford becomes the 12th town in Delaware to adopt a curfew with similar restrictions in place in Ellendale, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, Dover, Laurel, Delaware City, Harrington, Wilmington, New Castle City, Cheswold and Bridgeville.

Parents weigh in on the curfew proposal

Parents like Melissa Flores have expressed concerns about how the new rules might affect children involved in school sports or part-time jobs.

“I don’t know. It could help, but if somethings gonna happen, it’s gonna happen,” the mother of three told WHYY News as she walked with her 6-year-old son near Jay Nests Park early one afternoon.

“I guess your kids could be safe, but what if this is a football game, what if they want to go to the football game? Or you’re 16 but you have a job and you don’t get off till 11 p.m.? Is that going to be okay?” she added.

Flores said the move could add more of a burden to parents and guardians.

“Sometimes, when you put more rules on top of rules, and on top of rules, then you get people that just want to break the rules,” she said.

Teens will be exempted from the curfew if they meet any of the following criteria:

• Accompanied by parents or authorized adult.
• Dealing with an emergency.
• Exercising their First Amendment rights.
• Returning directly to home.
• Employment necessity

To be exempt from the curfew, parents or guardians must complete an authorization form, granting the child permission and adding them to the authority’s database.

Flores, who lives on North Front Street, questions why the focus is on curbing juvenile behavior instead of addressing issues like homelessness or drug problems.

“Instead of regulating the kids, why aren’t we taking these people to some kind of rehab center because obviously they need them,” she said. “North Front Street, it’s like from Family Dollar to the Royal Farms, they’re always hanging out there.”

Jalisa Brim, originally from Salisbury, Maryland, moved to Seaford over a year ago. As a mother of three teenagers, she supports the rule of a curfew, noting that she already enforces a curfew at home.

“I’m in favor of a juvenile curfew,” Brim said. “I do have teenagers and they do have a curfew, well my own house curfew of being in the house because of danger, different things that go on at night that you don’t want your kids even exposed to.”

Curfew violations will result in fines starting at $50 for the first offense and increasing by $25 for each subsequent violation. Repeated offenses could lead to a family court review to address underlying issues.

While Brim wasn’t concerned about the fines herself, she expressed sympathy for families who might struggle to control their children, particularly given the financial strain caused by inflation.

“The economy is already too hard for people out here like myself,” she said. “So it is going to be kind of hard with adding on additional fees or paying additional money for your children because some parents might not have a grip of their kids. I have a grip on my kids.”