Surge in late-night doorbell pranks has Dundee police issuing curfew reminder
Late-night doorbell and door-knock pranks have become a trend in Dundee, Michigan. In response, the police issued a safety warning and reminder about a local teen curfew.
The Dundee Police Department Friday that, within the past week, they have had four calls involving youths ringing doorbells or banging on windows between 10 and 11:30 p.m. The reports have happened in multiple neighborhoods within the Monroe County community, and were a "recent but continuous problem for the last two weeks."
The locations that were targeted do not have an obvious connection to school-age families.
The police department said it has concerns that anyone involved in these late-night disruptions might be mistaken for intruders, "and could be assaulted, bitten by a dog or otherwise injured."
"Please help by talking to your children to put a stop to this unruly and dangerous behavior," officers said.
The police department also issued a reminder about Michigan law and the Village of Dundee's curfew ordinance, which can result in juvenile court appearances for the minors, along with potential civil or criminal penalties to the parents or guardians.
Under that rule, anyone under age 12 cannot loiter, congregate or idle in any public space between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, or an adult designated by a parent or guardian.
There are also overnight curfew stipulations that apply to teens up to age 17, with the cutoff times depending on the month of the year. There is also an exemption if the youth is returning home from lawful employment.
