Why a curfew?
The curfew established in Nice specifically targets minors under the age of 13. They are now prohibited from leaving between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. throughout the city during the summer period. This restriction is even stricter in specific areas, such as the Moulins district, where it applies to those under 16 due to notorious drug trafficking.
This measure is justified by a desire to reduce nighttime gatherings which, according to the municipality, encourage delinquency and expose minors to various dangers such as attacks and trafficking. Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice, citing the lack of sufficient responsibility of some parents and a lack of legislative courage, sees the curfew as a way to take responsibility for the safety of young people in Nice.
Mixed reactions to the curfew
While cities like Béziers and Pointe-à-Pitre have adopted similar measures, the reintroduction of the curfew in Nice is not without controversy. In fact, Nice had introduced this type of measure in 2009, before removing it in 2020 because of the health crisis. Local political figures, notably the elected environmentalist opposition member Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, criticize this policy as being a window dressing measure. which neglects deeper issues such as education and housing.
Proponents of the curfew, however, point out that such measures have historically contributed to a reduction in delinquency. However, critics highlight the risk of a policy that could further stigmatize young people, particularly in disadvantaged neighborhoodsand distract from the real long-term solutions needed for these communities.
Security, at what price?
Minors are particularly prey to drug dealers who hire them for odd jobs, such as lookouts. Drug trafficking, in certain neighborhoods, provides a livelihood for entire families., and parents avoid asking their child where the money they bring comes from. The fight against drug trafficking is complicated. The curfew for minors would help combat the problem when parents no longer ensure that their child is at home at night.
The establishment of a curfew targeting all young people under the age of 13 in Nice raises a significant ethical and practical question: is it fair to force an entire age group to stay at home after a certain time, in response to the failings of certain parents? This generalized approach seems to punish all young people for the faults of a fewdepriving the majority of minors, who do not cause any disturbance, of their freedom of movement.
Hard-to-find solutions
Unfortunately, the problems linked to violence and juvenile delinquency have become such that the establishment of a curfew appears to be the last and only solution. The human and financial resources invested in the most disadvantaged areas never seem to be enough, whether because equipment is destroyed or social workers, teachers and other professionals leave. The field is left open to delinquents of all kinds and the vicious circle closes.
As for penalizing parents for the bad behavior of their children, in particular by withdrawing their rights to allowances or social housing, the measure does not receive any more approval from the left than the curfew. The situation is insoluble, which leads to solutions that are still unsatisfactory.
As the summer period approaches, when minors have a greater tendency to stay in the streets, and while tourism will bring unsuspecting tourists to the Côte-d’Azur, the curfew will have to prove itself . Will we observe results or unnecessary vexation of young people?
