Town talks about imposing curfew after teen death

Bridgeport, Conn. (WTNH) - With the city of Bridgeport still reeling from the loss of 14-year-old Justin Thompson , residents and city leaders are looking to have a curfew imposed. They say that's the answer to preventing other children from having their own lives cut too short.

If the curfew proposal is approved, teenagers under 15 years old will have to be off the streets between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. The curfew would be pushed back to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

"When you establish a curfew you really set a tone," said Paul Vallas, Interim Superintendent of Schools.

The tone the city hopes to set is one of intolerance for violent crime, especially among the city's youth.

"It gives police a tool they can use," said Vallas, "not that you're going to expect them to pick up and transport every single child or every single young person that's on the street after hours, but it at least gives them the ability to do that when they suspect something or when they feel there's an at risk situation."

The city's mayor supports a curfew.

"We still are not satisfied we want to do more Ali," said Mayor Bill Finch, "we want to do more and try things that we think might work."

Teenagers who violate curfew could be picked up by police and fined.

"When people know there is a curfew and that people can be picked up, and that there is a consequence, it acts like a deterrent," Vallas said.

City leaders were scheduled to meet Monday evening at 6 p.m. to discuss the possible curfew. The city council will vote on the issue sometime in February.