By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Teenagers should be at home at night, Attorney General Douglas Moylan said, reminding local authorities to enforce Guam’s juvenile curfew.
Under Guam law, curfew hours for minors begin at 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday until 6 a.m. of the following day; and 12:01 a.m. until 6 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
“We are requesting that the Guam Police Department strictly enforce Guam’s curfew laws against minors, with the assurance from this AG that we will prosecute those minors, their parents and others who warrant prosecution," Moylan said in a letter to Police Chief Stephen Ignacio and Jesse L.G. Alig, president of the Mayors Council of Guam.
"We believe that tough curfew enforcement will curb the crimes in our 19 villages,” he added.
Moylan said he has directed the chief prosecutor and assistant deputy for juvenile prosecutions to work with the Guam Police Department on enforcing Guam law that mandates teenagers to be home during curfew hours.
“The AG’s Office has discretion in which charges to bring before our judges, and against whom to file charges. We wish to work with parents and business establishments to ensure a safer community,” Moylan said.
“The Guam legislature clearly made it a policy of this community that minors (teenagers) should be at home with their parents and guardians at night, and not roaming our neighborhoods and villages committing crimes, and creating crime victims,” he added.
Moylan noted that most crimes involving teenagers are committed "during the darkness of night.”
“We are aware that teenagers are breaking into our schools, stealing cars, entering homes, consuming alcohol and smoking marijuana, to name only a few of the many crimes," he said.
"According to our mayors, these minors are seen at night hanging out in village parks, bus stations, recreation courts, as well as in the jungles, to name a few of the locations."
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Moylan also reminded parents that they may be held accountable for allowing their children to stay out in the streets during curfew hours.
“We will be working with Child Protective Services if the investigation leads toward the parents being unfit, or clearly derelict in their responsibilities as parents to raise their children,” Moylan said.
”Our ‘pro-family approach’ to raising one’s children seeks to help parents raise their children, not tolerate parents who choose to ignore their duties to prevent their children from harming others, taking property and creating crime victims in our villages in the darkness of night,” he added.
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