Northbridge Curfew in Western Australia - Essay Example

Northbridge Curfew Name: Date: Affiliation: Executive summary Northbridge curfew was declared by the labor party prime minister after considering the behavior of underage youth who were mostly aborigines. The curfew was in line with the Children welfare Act 1947 which gave authorities to correct children. The curfew brought mixed feelings amongst the residents but it was beneficial in the long run. However it was perceived to be discriminatory though it yielded positively. It is recommended that the curfew should be extended to other areas facing the problem. Northbridge Curfew Thesis statement This paper will focuses on the Northbridge curfew and the effects it impacted on different people in the Northbridge society, especially the Aborigines. It will seek to address the response from the society and also highlight the benefits and disadvantages it impacted on the civilian. Introduction In April year 2003, the prime minister of the Labor party Dr Geoff Gallop announced that his government would enforce after dark curfew without prior warning for all the children who are under age, i.e. under the age of 18 years. The curfew was restricted to the under eighteen teenagers, and kids to enter entertainment areas in the city of Northbridge. They were to be arrested if they would be found in such places, in the absence of their parents and guardians. The curfew is one of the standing out success stories, which have ever happened in Australia. The introduction of the curfew was for the purpose of security and also ensuring that the rights of children are safeguarded. The curfew received overwhelming support from the public, and it was occasionally recognized in the opinion polls. It achieved the mission since most of the people who are known to commit crimes are men between the ages of 18-35 (Koch, 2003, pg.47). Mostly, the indigenous girls were the highly affected as per the statistics. Statistics shows that police once carried out a crackdown, and they managed to arrest 450 children. More than 400 of the children were from aboriginal origin, and more than two thirds were girls, showing that the society was reckless by allowing the children to visit such places alone and especially girls. The curfew did not bring significant legislative changes since under Children welfare Act 1947; the police were mandated to arrest young people if they are found in such places at odd hours without parent. Moreover, no more resources were added to organizations that were entrusted with the young people in Northbridge (State government Northbridge strategy, 2004, pg.16). The press covered the curfew in WA and posited that indigenous youths were posing great challenges in the Perth’s entertainment district and therefore, the state government had to react (Koch, 2003, pg 34). The Gallop government and officer in charge of crime prevention (OCP) had to come up with strategies in attempt to solve the issue crime and lack of social responsibility. After three, years, the carpenter government reported that young people had successfully managed to restrain themselves from trouble and crime, hence describing the process as successful. The reported postulated that there was 35% reduction in unsupervised juveniles who were roaming in the area and also reduction of antisocial behavior. Community confidence and entire support for continuation was also marked in line with improved agency in organizational operations (Mac Arthur, 2007, pg.34). Advantages/Benefits of the curfew The curfew had various strongholds especially the security aspect. It was believed that juvenile curfew lied hand in hand with security in the streets and the streets continued becoming safer in the absence of the juveniles. The rationale behind the reasoning was derived from the guidelines that led to the establishment of the curfew. The basis of establishment was that restricting the juveniles in public places at particular hours would considerably reduce the rate of crime and also make the cities secure. Basing on this premise, a person found out it was good and efficient in the long run. In the real sense, the crime rates reduced, and it was all attributed to the reduced number of young people in the streets. Secondly, the young people were the main target by the older immoral men who took advantage of the Aborigine girls. As posited earlier, most of the people caught at odd hours were the aborigine girls who were misused by older men especially at the age of 18-35. Therefore, the curfew enhanced protection of the young girls from the prurient and marauding men who wanted to take advantage of their innocence (Curfew policy legally sound, 2003, pg.23). The declaration of curfew for the juveniles meant that discipline would be adopted by the teenagers. This means that these juveniles will follow the rules to avoid implications, and in the long run they become responsible people. In the process of apprehending those kids who do not adhere to rule, it is possible to identify such kids who are vulnerable to crime and rehabilitate them take them to safe houses(Plan for curfew breakers,2004 pg. 16).Among the list of advantages, the curfew has inculcated the sense of responsibility among parents and the teenagers at large. For instance, research postulates that parents have changed the attitude towards parenting, and many of them are taking time to advise their children and all these can be attributed to the curfew. Parents take time to address the essence of avoiding the restricted areas-area under the curfew, in attempt to deter their children from crashing with the law. Therefore, this can be addressed as a benefit to the country since ultimately mature and responsible citizen will be created.Secondly; the curfew has benefited the city since the rate of crime has decreased. Cases of child abuse and violation of human rights have been solved and all these can be attributed to the curfew. Therefore, the curfew has benefitted the Northbridge through reduction of crime (Attorney-General, 2008). Disadvantages of the curfew Contrary, people felt that the curfew was not right and if possible should be scrapped. Although political and philosophical persuasion of the juveniles policy of the curfews has been heavily enhanced, little is known about its effectiveness. Reviews among the Young people in the renowned Northbridge policy have continued to portray positive results according to Western Australian State Government, but research carried out in United States shows that curfews generally do not work. In the quasi-experimental studies carried out on the juvenile curfews posit that overall; weight on the scientific does not support the assertion of curfews in an attempt to reduce criminal victimization and crime generally (Adams, 2003, pg.144). On the other hand, the curfew may be termed as discrimination against the aborigines. According to the popular, equal opportunity Act of 1984, discrimination on the basis of racial grounds is not acceptable. Discrimination on any ground or race is not right under any circumstance whether it is direct or indirect. The action of restricting aborigine children from visiting the public places may be perceived as discriminatory taking into account such habits used to happen in the past (Gallop, 2003, pg. 22) Conclusion Considering the above postulations, it is affirmative that the curfew has been significant. Despite allegations from the radical youths and the conservative aborigines, the curfew was pivotal in instilling discipline and social responsibility among children and parents respectively. Naturally, it is not fair for a child to be visiting adult entertainment parlors at a tender age. Moreover, some lunatics may take advantage of the children who mostly are girls and defile them. Therefore, it is recommendable to extend the curfew in Northbridge and diversify it in other areas in pursuant of reducing crime and encouraging social responsibility. References Adams, K. (2003). The effectiveness of juvenile curfews at crime prevention. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 587(1), 136-159. Attorney-General. (2008). "Night patrol services in the Northern Territory."   Retrieved 23 March 24, 2014, from http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Indigenouslawandnativetitle_Indigenouslawprograms_NightpatrolservicesintheNorthernTerritor y Carpenter to keep youth curfew after Northbridge crime drops.. (2006, December 10). Australasian Business Intelligence, 2, 12. Challenge to Northbridge curfew mooted.. (2003, July 15). Australasian Business Intelligence, 2, 15. Curfew policy legally sound: Ripper Nоrth bridgе Сurfеw in2003 wеstеrn Аustrаliа. (2003, July 16). Australasian Business Intelligence, 1, 23. Gallop blasts curfew critics.(2003, October 20). Australasian Business Intelligence, 2, 22. Koch, T. (2003). Curfews: Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia. Indigenous Law Bulletin, 54. Mac Arthur, C. (2007). The ‘emperor’s new clothes’: The role of the Western Australian press and state government in selling the story of the Northbridge curfew. Doctoral dissertation, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia MacArthur, K. (2011). Power elites and the politics of spin: why the Western Australian press bought the story of the Northbridge curfew. Saarbrücken, Germany: LAP Lambert Academic Publication. Northbridge curfew to stay: Gallop.. (2003, October 30). Australasian Business Intelligence, 1, 34. Plan for curfew breakers.(2004, January 9). Australasian Business Intelligence, 2, 16. Perth, W.A. (2004), Office of Crime Prevention. State government Northbridge strategy: young people in Northbridge policy. Australia Office of Crime Prevention Read More