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The key agency in all this is the Ministry of Human Development. Today Judith Alpuche, the CEO in that Ministry, told us about some the concerns that they have with the proposed Child Curfew Program.

Judith Alpuche, C.E.O - Ministry of Human Development
"We understand and share the ultimate objective of keeping children safe. We have concerns about the methodology that is being proposed and so we are in discussions; I think that has come up in the media that we are in discussions with the police and other entities to see how we can do this more holistically. To me this is a piece of the puzzle - what we are doing here with the LIRC, what we are doing with the YCT, what is going on at Gateway, because it is really about the prevention side. How do you engage young people? How do you find positive things for them to do? How do you get them back into schools? So we really have to be talking to truancy as well and it really has to be a holistic approach because you pick them off the road, off the street at night and then what? So the interventions that need to happen with their families as well - all that. So if you are going to come at it from a holistic point of view, then we really need to work together and we will need more resources because if we had all the resources that we needed, it would have been solved. But we are trying to see how we can leverage all that we have in a concerted way and in a way that doesn't penalize children for the shortcoming of their parents. So we are agreed on as I said the objective of child protection, its just that we have concerns about the methodology and we are trying to talk it out to see how together we can achieve those objectives."

Emanuel Pech
"Do you think the south side commander jumped the gun in launching this program without fully consulting all the stakeholders?"

Judith Alpuche, C.E.O - Ministry of Human Development
"I won't pass comment on that. I am just happy that we have a clear channel of communication and we are talking about this together."

Talks have been ongoing since last week Thursday, when all the stakeholders met at the Southside police headquarters. Minister of Human Development Hon. Boots Martinez also met with Williams separately on Thursday. He told us that he is in support of the program, but, he believes that a curfew alone will not solve the problem of teenage gang bangers.

Anthony "Boots" Martinez, Minister of Human Development
"The ongoing problem in my view is not one of a lot of children out after nine in the night. They shouldn't be there, but I'm saying we have to look at what is the reality. The reality that too many children are out of school when they should be in school, idling about and then they fall prey to the criminal elements. And that in my view…if you take that into consideration and you work towards that you will be getting somewhere. Looking on only children that is out after nine in the night solely; that won't cut it sir."

We have not heard anything official from UNICEF but reports from back channels say that the global child advocacy agency is believes the kids Curfew Program violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child.