Mr Mayor. Is everybody going to have a chance to vote on the curfew and whether to use. Night sticks. Well the first place on the curfew and that has been discussed for quite a number of years it's been used in some cities it's been turned down and others. And only the SAF to noon at our meeting we had a quite a discussion on the curfew gave. There are lots of sides to this problem and I would say the vast majority of the officials who were at the meeting today opposed the curfew. On the theory that number one. Ninety seven percent of our youngsters are good and fine in the city and this of course would affect them. And you also find that among the ones that you would want to see off the streets the hoodlum is on the youngsters who are getting into trouble. They come from homes that are certainly not desirable to go to. In the evening and that's one of the reasons they do stay out and I think we would find according to the experts in the field and we have two of them here the place Commissioner and the director of youth activities that many of them would not go home to their homes because of the undesirable atmosphere there but would probably end up in salads and backyards and would just get into trouble too. And therefore at the meeting today there was a general feeling that at this time it would not be a good thing to do cos legislation will be introduced. No doubt in the city council by those who have said they will and we ought to give it a full hearing and give everybody an opportunity to express themselves on it. How about the Knights on the question of the nightsticks. I think a lot of people fail to realize that the police department on the form the afternoon to twelve shift at night and from the twelve to the eight o'clock shift carry nightsticks and they have been. Carrying them for a number of years and. And the orders into the police department is that they preserve the law in order that they are to use force if necessary in carrying out their responsibilities as we have to realize too that they are controlled by laws and. They must act according to the law and we want to see these hoodlum those off the streets of New York we want to see an air of peace and understanding here in our city but we also have to be sure that we do not be accused of police brutality at the same time. Commissioner Kennedy. Here's a question from Herman ments of fourteen fifty four Leland Avenue in the Bronx. If commissioner Kennedy does not want to use force or a curfew. What does he want to do. Well the question is a rather ambiguous one and I think. A lawful use of force should be quiet up right now there's an awful lot of confusion in the public mind which is evidenced by some of the questions that have been put to me not only here in my house where the police department is not a punitive agency. Nor is it a social service agency. It's a law enforcement agency. And it is guided in its operations by the law. We the People of the past. Now let's look at the business force. Force may be used. May be necessarily committed by a public officer in the profile of a legal duty all by any other person. I system him or acting by his direction I'm going to summarize this because it's rather you're reading from the code is that raw penal law yes when necessary. Really committed by any person and arresting one was committed a felony. And delivering him to a public officer competent to receive him in custody. When committed either by a party about to be injured or by another person and is a good defense in preventing or attempting to prevent an offense against a person or a trespass or other on a lawful interference with a real personal property and his lawful possession. If the force all violence used is not more than sufficient to prevent such offense. Now there are other sections but this summarize the highlights of the lawful use of force. Now I would call here attention the fact that the. Again I want to emphasize that the police department. Law enforcement agency not a punitive agency and I also want to emphasize that when I mean police officers performing sworn duty. Applies reasonable and necessary force. I want to make it very clear that I was police commissioner back in one thousand percent. Mr Whalen. Here's a question from a Mrs O'Grady of twenty eight seven seven Grand Concourse in the Bronx. Is it true that the Youth Board in its zeal to win the confidence of youth gangs has given gang lower It's a special glory. No sir I think today I'd have to answer that question with absolute no. What these good does. And this is been a misconception by by the way by the way but the question is put to me is a been a misconception as been prevalent in the papers in the last few days. And I'd like to straighten it out right now what they used would does. Is to move in to contact fighting gangs. Now in contacting fighting gangs. We at the Youth Board condone no anti social. No delinquent acts and no crimes whether they are committed by a child a youth or an adult. Foresman policy is that if we know of any delinquency. Committed by a youth. In the game with which we are working. If we know of any rumble and the pushing of dope. And the carrying of knives of guns we immediately call the police. So that we do not condone in any way. Any unlawful act by any member of a gang or a group that should be crystal clear and I lines of communication with the police department are very straight. We are in constant contact on a twenty four hour a day basis with the youth division of the police department for this reason and for this reason alone. Now in addition to that in answer to Mrs O'Grady's question. On This is Grady's question. I was say this. That gangs in New York City exists. Somebody has got to reach them. Somebody has got not only to work with them. To inform the police of their delinquencies but also to convert their activities into socially acceptable activities and to make these members of these gangs law abiding citizens. They are floaters in the community. They are not affiliated with any community agency they are not affiliated with any settlement house any recreation agency they do not frequent the parks they except for unlawful activities on occasion and somebody has got to reach them and contact them and bring them about. Now that is the job of the Youth Board. But we will not tolerate violence. We will not tolerate. Delinquencies and any question of that is referred immediately to the police department and they take action in the meantime what we tend to do is to bring them around. To a socially acceptable law activism our bodies says so they will not become. Adult criminals of tomorrow. Mr Mayor. I'm going to throw these questions. Most of which are not. Directed specifically to anyone. One individual to you to field as as you wish. And this one is from Frank Ciano of twenty forty one hundred twenty First Street College Point. Teenage curfews in other large cities and he cites Philadelphia seemed to work white in New York City officials say that it can't work here. Well I think we have just mentioned that. A few minutes ago I gave been answered to one of the other questions that. There is a grave concern among a lot of our officials and asked both of the of the the officials who are here with me today to comment to that. It does it's a handicap to ninety seven percent of our youngsters who are good and fine and that so many of these youngsters that Ralph mentioned floaters they come from very unhappy homes and they will do anything to stay away from those homes even with a curfew and is in trouble too and of course as I said we will certainly consider any of this legislation when it comes before so that was the general consensus of opinion today and I think Steve you expressed yourself on that to the difficulty of enforcement. Yes a curfew law or any other law for that matter is not self-executing somebody must enforce it. That's up to the police. I'm not against the curfew just because it gives additional work to the police but I do think that it would be extremely difficult when. Boss. Fairly and equitably in this city. Now I do. I have been informed and whether it's been correct or not I don't know. But I have been informed that in various areas the where curfews are in existence that there are certain discriminatory practices that they were enforced in some areas. But not in all that is now my position is that the laws are going to be enforced fairly and equitably and evenly in every section of the city. Regardless of race color creed or what have you. It's just merely want to move on or I like to just want to just mention something just said this. To what Commissioner candy and may widen has said. At the best possible we could have would be parental authority and discipline. If parents. And neighbors would see to it that the young people are in their homes at night and the proper influences would be much better off this is not a job only for law enforcement agencies are for social agencies it's a job for the total citizenry of New York City. And the best possible care for you we could have will be parental authority and parental discipline. Mr Mayor a Mr tab of eight thirty six Crown Street Brooklyn asks Do you agree with Monsignor McCaffrey of Holy Cross Catholic Church that cobbler as a responsible for recent gang outrages. He meaning Monsignor McCaffrey list cobbler's as lenient judges over sympathetic Youth Board consultants professional do gooders and subsystem. What is your thinking in this important matter. I have a great deal of affection and respect for the monsignor is no friend of mine as matter of fact he indicated he would like to come and talk to me and I'm going to be delighted to. See him and look forward to it and we had a meeting again today where we discussed some of these questions that were brought up the question see a question for instance on the leniency of the judges the Domestic Relations Court for instance the ones that have an awful lot of these youngsters coming before them have a real serious problem one that we've been working on for quite a number of years. So many of these youngsters need some help some of them only first offenders who are not really hardened criminals as youngsters but need some guidance and some help. Now the facilities we have here we try to do it but they're really on a temporary basis and that's why we've been anxious for the state for a number of years to embark on a program of camps where these youngsters could go and get a little better opportunity get a little better life then a little bit of training and understanding and they could come back and be good to members of the community there are others that are real hard and tough youngsters and they must be sent to institutions where they receive a good full training. And there has been a shortage over the years of these state facilities and the and therefore we have had this backlog of youngsters staying in our youth house waiting to be transferred to the state institutions when space becomes available. We also find that quite a few of these youngsters according to our judges only are in these institutions for a few months they come right back. And I believe they told us today that about forty five percent of these youngsters who have been in these institutions for this short time come up come up again and are in under the jurisdiction of Eventually of the Department of Corrections in other words in our jails and. The judges agree the presiding judge has agreed to cooperate fully with us. But it is a bigger problem than actually in some instances the judge what about it. Let's question of cobbling that's raised here has occurred leg. I am opposed to coddling of any of these herd limbs. On our streets I want to see them driven from the streets so that they do not menace our people. We want an atmosphere of law and order in this city and that's what the police are instructed to do under the commissioner and. As the as the as Mr Whalen has mentioned and I'll let them comment and again. Anybody who coddles any of these youngsters in the youth vote has been dismissed Isn't that right. It is not the true and we don't want any coddling we want to see them if we can save them so that they can become decent citizens and on the principle I agree certainly with the them on senior they should be no coddling of these had limbs. Mr Mayor. There's a question here from a rather. From a very distinguished gentleman Herbert Hoover former president of the United States chairman of the board of the Boys Club of America. This was phone in this afternoon to the Honorable Robert Wagner. May I suggest that a fundamental remedy is the support of organized character building agencies serving the pavement boys and girls. There are many such agencies for example the boys clubs are proven in the areas which they cover to be almost the most complete remedy. There are now in the congested areas of greater New York twenty five clubs with many thousand boys and membership could not the support and expansion of all the character building organizations be included in your inquiries as to remedies. Yes I receive that same telegram from Mr Hoover whom I have the greatest respect and he's done a great deal for the youngsters in this area. I think we have to point out that last summer we had a very concentrated program here initiated some of the five S. and we brought in all of these voluntary groups all of the religious groups to help us and. This year. Again they came in during the summer period and we had even greater cooperative cooperation and ago. Her participation on the part of all these groups to take care of our youngsters and they did a terrific job but I think we can refer this to were Ralph Whalen because of his experience and I think he'll agree that so many of these youngsters who get into trouble and cause all of this trouble just are not attracted and will not go to these settlement houses and these other P.R.L. and the others that do so much good for the youngsters and stop some watch potential juvenile delinquency is that true. That's right. Mr Mayor the. One of the problems that we have. Is that the we're hard core group of delinquents and youthful offenders. Who are causing most of our trouble. Not affiliated with boys clubs with settlement houses with community centers or any other organized group they're running away from any kind of regimentation if they go into these community centers they're disruptive and until we can get to the point where they can accept the rules and regulations of a settlement house and community center. We have the problem of them floating in the streets. Now or what not attract another track to now what we have been doing in reference to the organized agencies recreation and group work agencies is to try to get them to move out into the streets where these youngsters youngsters are and work with them where they are and gradually involve them in their programs and also to keep their doors open during the hours of the day and the days of the week when they when these people need help. Unfortunately too many of our agencies are not open on weekends and do not plan programs for teenagers during the weekends and I think we're there was an improvement on this yet. Last summer and this summer and that we are certainly as far as the city is concerned the police department your group education. Some of the other agencies involved. There was a shift and. Cations to make sure that we had full strength here during the summer time as well as other times of the year and a lot of the voluntary agencies went along with that and they have financial troubles as really great improvement but there's room for still more as we move along as far as the police departments concerned we've always pro-rated our vacations of the entire year that you on the basis of seniority and of course our agency being on seven day a week. Twenty four hour a day three hundred sixty five day a year operating. On for us when Agency it's extremely important that we maintain our strength as equitably as we can and in the summer time to her and she was signed. So many many more men and some of the ladies in the police department to the beaches to the pond so can we move on to another question. Margaret guarantee of Manhattan ask why are people allowed to buy guns so freely should they not be made to go in to the police station and fingerprinted and screened for the use of a gun and I'll refer that to the police commissioner he's the expert in this field. I mess may say that we have been after tighter legislation and here in the state of New York. So that there can be greater control of this we haven't been able to get these bills out of committee we sincerely hope that we may be able to do it at the next session because you have to have certainly state wide legislation and perhaps federal legislation because if we can control it here in the city of New York it's very easy to get it over the borders of the city of New York or over the state of New York would you favor such legislation Mr Mayor I would also a lot of that legislation as well as the mayor said I think that it's required. You might say on a national basis as you know in this state. One may not possess a carry a concealed Bellflower on without having a license and in this city. It's issued by the police department and there's a very careful investigation of the applicant before it's issued and he has to have reasonable cause for possessing the farm. However that's only pertains to concealable firearms a man may go in and buy a shotgun. So our dom or youngster go and buy a shotgun saw it down and use it. I brought attention to the fact that great number of. Lethal Weapons are being imported into this country and a very low price. And so far as I have been able to ascertain. There is no violation of law involved. A few weeks ago I indicated that the so-called starter pistols. Are imported and they pay a very low duty on them. Commissioner one short one. What good is bringing on more policemen if you keep their hands tied. So they can't touch the hoodlums they seem to be many questions of this nature. Tonight we have very little time to go into this one as your earlier answer on law enforcement stance. The police department and every member opposite has the duty to strictly enforce the law and where there is any resistance to all lawful arrest. For us might must be met by force and it must be reasonable and agreed but the police department gang emphasizes on the rar system of government is not a punitive agency. It may not take the long to its own hands due process has not passed out of vogue in this country or this city. Thank you Mr Mayor commissioner Kennedy and director Whalen we believe that you'll given us gentlemen further insight into the juvenile delinquency program. We'd like to thank you very much for being with us tonight a public press conference.