Councilman Proposes Changes to Lexington Curfew Law

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- A Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman is hoping to curb youth violence with a change to a more than 20 year old law. He says he wants to see Lexington Police enforcing curfews again.

Lexington mom, Anita Franklin, can only see her son through old photos. Antonio Franklin Jr. was found almost three years ago in Duncan Park, shot to death. Four teenagers were sentenced for it.

“When I talk about him I can’t pull a picture out and say, ‘Oh, this is my son. He graduated from college.’ or ‘Oh, this is my son and his family.’ I have to, and when I’m educating people, I’m pulling out a picture of him laying in his coffin,” Franklin said.

Since her son died, Franklin has dedicated herself to ending violence. She says about a year ago she asked police about adding a curfew. Like many people, she did not realize there already is one. Kids in Lexington legally are not allowed to be outside from 1:00 to 5:00 a.m. on the weekends and 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. during the week.

She says police also told her they don not enforce curfew often because it would be a hardship on parents.

“Sometimes when we know we’re going to be held accountable then we make changes and so curfew is just holding people accountable,” Franklin said.

The curfew changes Franklin wanted to see a year ago could soon become reality. After six murder victims last year were teenagers and younger, Councilman Fred Brown is proposing curfew times be between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. for all days of the week.

“In this day and time Saturdays and Sundays and Mondays and Tuesdays, they all run together,” Franklin said.

Brown says he also wanted to make the times standard so it would be easier for police to enforce. He says police tell him they have not used the law recently because they felt they could not get any results. With his proposal, and the conversation it is starting, Brown hopes to change that.

Brown says the bill will be scheduled for a reading next week or the week after.