Pittsburgh ramps up efforts to launch youth resource centers after voting down curfew enforcement

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PITTSBURGH — Launching resource centers for the city’s youth that are focused on preventing violence and intervention — that’s the new path forward for Pittsburgh City Council after Wednesday night’s unanimous vote not to move forward with the proposal to ramp up enforcement of the city’s curfew for minors.

There has been a lot of talk in the city about how law enforcement and communities can get a handle on teen violence.

“We need to make sure that there’s a place they can go when they’re off work, and a safe place for kids to be when they don’t want to be in that abusive home or be on the streets, but they’re afraid to go home sometimes,” she said. “So I think this is a great start for us.”

Mayor Ed Gainey opposed the idea of enforcing a curfew, saying it would be impossible, given that Pennsylvania does not require people to carry an ID, Channel 11 news partner the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Council President Theresa Kail-Smith hopes the resource centers will help parents, grandparents and guardians as a whole — not just kids themselves.

The next step in the process is to form a committee. Members have to be appointed by Feb. 14.

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