Philadelphia extends youth curfew after flash mobs

The 9 p.m. summertime curfew was put in place earlier this month downtown and in the University City neighborhood - home to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Mayor Michael Nutter's administration is extending it two weeks, until the regular school-year curfew takes effect.

His spokesman Mark McDonald said the curfew is sending "a very strong message."

"It's a success, a relative success," McDonald said Monday. "We will pick up any child who violates the curfew. ... We are enforcing it. And going forward we are enforcing it."

There have been few major problems the last few weeks since the curfew was put into effect, McDonald said. Last weekend, there were 32 youths picked up for curfew violations, according to police.

The special summertime curfew applies to all children under age 18, with a handful of exceptions, such as youths traveling to jobs.

The regular school-year curfew starts Sept. 6. Under that city ordinance, youth ages 13 to 17 are subject to a 10:30 p.m. curfew on weekdays and a midnight curfew on weekends; children up through age 12 have a curfew of 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends.