OPINION was divided after The Chronicle asked readers if Toowoomba should have a curfew for young people, similar to one at Miriam Vale, a small town south of Rockhampton.
For 15 years Miriam Vale has had an 8pm curfew for children under 16.
The article received a huge response on Facebook with more than 400 comments.
Some readers thought it wouldn't work because of young people involved in night-time activities; others thought it should be rolled out in towns across the country.
Toowoomba Regional Councillor Ros Scotney lived in Pittsworth in the '80s, when it too had a curfew.
She said it worked well then but probably wouldn't work Toowoomba.
"The people loved it, but Pittsworth was half the size then. What worries me about a curfew here is Toowoomba's size and the resources needed to police it."
Midnight Basketball committee chair Mary McGilvray thought there were more effective ways to keep young people off the streets at nights.
"There are many organisations in Toowoomba trying to address the issue of young people on the streets anyway, such as Midnight Basketball, PCYC and other church groups.''
She thought more resources were needed for these programs.
Toowoomba Constable Chris Macklin volunteers for Midnight Basketball and said a pro-active approach rather than a curfew would save police work in the long run.
"It's saving me more time going and dealing with the kids in a program like this than out on the streets," he said.
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