Dougherty Commission considers curfew for minors

ALBANY – Will Dougherty County have a curfew for minors? That topic is one that is under discussion, and several commissioners indicated that it is something they would like to act on this year.

The city of Albany has had a curfew since September 2004, and Albany Mayor Bo Dorough and County Commission Chairman Lorenzo Heard have been discussing a county curfew that would mesh with the city’s, County Commissioner Clinton Johnson said.

Under the city’s curfew, minors unaccompanied by an adult are prohibited from engaging in activities on streets and highways, playgrounds, restaurants and businesses between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays and from midnight to 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The city’s ordinance includes some exceptions, such as for a minor driving home from work. It also contains a section that prohibits students suspended from school from being out during school hours unless accompanied by an adult. 

Parents and guardians, as well as the minor, can be cited under the ordinance.

The last time the county had a curfew in place was during the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in October 2018, Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy John Ostrander said. 

That curfew applied to all people, as officials looked to keep individuals off the roadways at night in the wake of the storm.

Johnson and County Commissioner Ed Newsome, both of whom are members of the commission’s Public Safety Committee, said they would like to hear more about the issue.

“I would sure like for us to have a curfew for kids,” Newsome said. “I think that would be a really smart thing to do. I would totally be in favor of that.

“If you see the news, we’re having 15-year-olds out there shooting people. I would certainly think we ought to do something.”

Both Johnson and Newsome agreed that a curfew for unincorporated Dougherty County should complement the city’s

“We need to put some teeth behind it and get the city and the county on the same page,” Newsome said.

No ordinance has been drafted as of this time, Johnson said, but he would support a move to task County Attorney Alex Shalishali with preparing a proposed ordinance.

“I would implement one to kind of keep the kids in the house,” he said. “Everybody needs to be somewhere. I just want to see what they put together and enforce it countywide. That would be the plan, the hope. 

“It’s just to be proactive more than anything. I’ve also asked about keeping parents responsible. They need to put something together like that.”