While it was City of Roby Mayor Eli Sepeda that spoke to the Fisher County Commissioners last month, he was not alone in his plea for the court to initiate a curfew for juveniles across the county. The proposal has gained some steam among some community members in the interim, and the Fisher County Court’s regular September meeting is still more than a week away.
Although consisting of members from across the county, a communitybased committee of almost 20 individuals at its first official meeting at the end of July. The organization — nicknamed the Roby Think Tank — was formed with the goal of sharing ideas and implementing strategies to address complex social issues such as drug addiction.
Since that inaugural meeting, its members have reached out to public officials and industry professionals for assistance with starting an outreach program for adults, as well as options for helping the younger population.
Mayor Sepeda spoke with Fisher County Sheriff Randy Ford about the possibility of his deputies assisting local municipalities to enforce curren curfew ordinances. The sheriff said his power is limited within the cities, especially pertaining to local ordinances.
However, if the commissioners were to adopt a countywide ordinance that mirrored those of the cities, Ford said it would expand his department's authority to include both Roby and Rotan. The City of Rotan’s curfew ordinance has been on the books since the council approved it in 2008.
The Roby City Council adopted an official curfew that parallels that of Rotan. Each city ordinance sets a midnight curfew for all juveniles — those 17 years of age or younger. The curfew is not without its flexibility, also containing multiple pages of exceptions that include school or church-related activities, going to and coming from a job, etc.
When speaking to the Roby City Council members last month, Mayor Sepeda said regardless of the commissioner's decision, he hoped all taxpayers understand that city officials are a least trying to play their role in keeping the community safe. Rotan Mayor Pete Garcia confirmed he has talked with Sepeda on several occasions and fully supports local and potential countywide curfew ordinances.
“Since the two main cities within the county each have an ordinance, the commissioners should have one to help us enforce it,” said Sipeda. “It's truly needed.”
Sheriff Ford said he was also in favor of a countywide curfew, informing the court in August about a prior incident involving four juveniles after hours, resulting in some young offenders being arrested. His deputies frequently have to chase students away from the school campuses during late evening hours as well.
Ford said he believed future events such as this could be reduced with the threat of violating county ordinances. He said, “By working with the JP court, it could be used as a powerful tool as a means to help curb those incidents.”
Whether or not commissioners will officially consider adopting a countywide curfew will not be known for some days, as the court is not scheduled to meet again until September 13, it has continued to be a topic of discussion amongst elected officials and community members alike.