Letter to the Editor: Impact of drunken behavior real concern in Kutztown

Dear Editor:
Thank you for your informative article in the Oct. 25Patriot about the Borough officials’ collaborative efforts to address the excessive drinking in our town by some University students and party seekers from out-of-town. The impact of this drunken behavior is a real concern for everyone’s safety as well as for the quality of life of our residents. Our residents want and need this multi-faceted approach so that effective solutions can be implemented as soon as possible.

I suggest an additional idea be considered. When looking through the current Borough Codes, I found Code #96: Curfew. This code established that it is “unlawful for boys and girls under sixteen (16) years of age, such persons being defined for purposes of this chapter as a child or children, to be, or remain, in or upon the streets (which includes the area located between the building lines as set forth on the topographical survey of the Borough of Kutztown), alleys, parks or public places in the Borough of Kutztown at night between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and the immediately following 6 a.m., prevailing time”. I suggest that the Borough officials amend Code #96 in the following manner: 1.) increase the stated curfew age from under sixteen to under twenty-one (21) years of age 2.) update the listed exceptions 3.) establish an increasingly punitive scale of fines and penalties.

Amending our Curfew Code is only one of many changes which the Borough will need to make to help establish realistic boundaries of acceptable behavior in a small town where hard-working residents live and raise their families. As it is now, many of our residents, the people who pay for the management and care of our “agreeable” town, are being awakened regularly by drunken behavior on their street/in their neighborhood, are finding trash and destruction at their properties in the morning, are finding themselves frightened in their own homes when students’ wild parties pour out into the streets, etc. Amending our Curfew Code will not solve all the problems related to excessive drinking in our small town, BUT it can be part of the solution.

Sincerely yours,
Lisa Ladd-Kidder

Kutztown resident