Night curfew: How do you feel?

As of July 29, 2022, Knott’s Berry Farm has enforced a new night curfew due to a harmful incident involving teens. This led to an early closure of the park that night. Guests under the age of eighteen now must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at least 21 years old to get inside the park. The curfew requires minors to exit the park immediately at closing time. The goal is to avoid having children loitering around, preventing any further issues.

In addition to Knotts’ new policy, the BPPD (Buena Park Police Department) has issued a night curfew affecting all minors in the City of Buena Park. This curfew requires them to stay off the streets from 10:00 PM to sunrise if they are without a parent or guardian.

As we dive deeper into the matter, the voices of Buena Park residents may be beneficial in answering the question: What is the reaction to this new policy?

Here’s what fellow BPHS students and staff had to say.

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Students and staff at Buena Park High School seem to be well-informed on the new curfew, with only a few not aware of the new policy being taken place. David Gonzalez, a student at Buena Park High School, shared with interviewers Angelica Luna and Emily Gonzalez that he did not know a night time curfew existed. Gonzalez’s words after being informed state that if he could change one thing about it, he “would change the time from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM” to be able to go outside in the early morning. 

Jesse Reyes, another student at BPHS, claims to have been affected by the curfew “very little.” When asked about his opinions on the curfew, he says he disagrees with it, with a simple “No.”

Wanting to change a thing or two about the policy is not only a trend with the students, but with the adults as well. Mr. Rodriguez, a staff member at BPHS, says he thinks the children involved should not be all minors below eighteen, and that if he could, he “would make it sixteen and below.”

Other adults, such as Coach Joshua, a BPHS football coach, states he would change “nothing” about the curfew. He believes that “it’s smart,” as “there’s a lot of bad people out there,” refering to irresponsible teenagers and dangerous individuals in the City of Buena Park.

In summary, we cannot say there is a general opinion amongst the youth about this curfew. However, we can tell you that every opinion is valued and these thoughts are what help us shape a better future for this generation. What is your opinion on the night curfew, and how can your opinion benefit our future? Let us know!