Park vandalism prompts curfew in Sour Lake

Graffiti, litter and damaged park property has prompted the City of Sour Lake to keep kids off the streets at night with a city-wide curfew.

It's a popular hang out for the old and the young... everydays and holidays.  But Lions Club Park in Sour Lake has recently been a place of pollution and improper partying.

"When there's nothing else to do, they'll find things to do," said Police Chief Scott Sonnier, "We have caught kids out here drinking, in possession of tobacco.."

.. And vandalizing park property. The evidence of that activity is clear in the broken park benches and all over the graffiti-riddled gazebo. Sonnier says the vandalism has not only shocked the community, but saddened it.

Sonnier said, "I have seen just citizens out here cleaning up trash in the park and I'm sure once they clean up, they come back the next day to walk or exercise and they see trash thrown out again, I'm sure they're not real happy about it."

Sonnier says criminal mischief if not new to this park, but this graffiti and damage was the last straw for city council. That's why they've enacted this curfew to try to stop it.

The curfew keeps kids younger than 17 in-house between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., seven days a week. The consequence for breaking curfew? A ticket for up to $500. Sonnier says since the curfew went into effect a week ago, all has been quiet.. and he hopes it stays that way.  For the benefit of citizens...

"We'd hope that families could come here and enjoy the park.."

.. and for children.

"We'd hope that the curfew would put them back in the home with their parents and we could help that out also," said Sonnier.

The ordinance also applies to parents or guardians who knowingly allow minors out past the city curfew.  Businesses that allow minors to remain at an establishment past the city curfew can also be cited, excluding employment reasons.