One day after the Reading Police Department announced renewed enforcement of the city’s juvenile curfew via social media, Mayor Eddie Moran addressed the public Thursday morning in a livestreamed press conference, voicing frustration, urgency, and a personal plea for community-wide responsibility.
While the press conference was not publicly announced to local media in advance — with only one television station present and the City of Reading streaming it live to Facebook — Moran delivered a candid and emotional statement reinforcing the city’s curfew ordinance and outlining plans for further youth safety initiatives.
“This is not about punishment. This is not about arrest. This is not about creating some kind of revenue,” Moran said from the podium, pushing back on criticisms the curfew is punitive in nature. “I’m doing this because I care about our youth. I care about our kids. I care about my community — plain and simple.”
Under the city ordinance, individuals under the age of 18 are not permitted in public spaces between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or another responsible adult. While the ordinance has been in place since 2000 and updated in 2017, the police department said this summer’s enforcement would involve targeted details to ensure compliance, citing the need to reduce youth exposure to violence.
Moran said the city is approaching the curfew this year with “better data, clearer strategy, and stronger resources.” He also announced the formation of a new working group composed of city departments, partner organizations, and local leaders aimed at developing smarter youth safety policies and supporting families.
“I know what’s going to be said — parents are working two, three jobs. Yes, I get it,” said Moran. “But it doesn’t take away the fact that we still have to be parents and know where our children are.”
The mayor, growing visibly emotional during parts of his speech, referenced personal experiences, including the loss of a cousin at age 15 and the memory of growing up with a strong network of neighborhood accountability. He repeated a familiar public safety phrase: “It’s 10:00. Do you know where your children are?”
In his remarks, Moran also called on schools, healthcare institutions, employers, churches, and nonprofit organizations to “step to the plate” and help address the broader challenges facing Reading’s youth.
“Too many times I’m holding press conferences like this. Too many times I’m seeing mothers cry. And I’m tired,” he said. “This is not just a government problem — this is everyone’s problem.”
Moran noted that the city previously allocated $1 million for youth violence prevention efforts, but said interest and participation waned. “People didn’t take advantage of that million dollars,” he said. “But yet, we go on social media and say the government isn’t doing enough.”
While Thursday’s remarks added context to the curfew initiative, many local outlets — including Berks Weekly — were not notified of the press conference. According to a city spokesperson, the event had initially been scheduled as a one-on-one interview requested by a local TV station, but the administration decided to turn the opportunity into a press conference for themselves and the single news outlet.
The city’s full curfew ordinance, including exemptions and penalties, can be found here:
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/readingpa/latest/reading_pa/0-0-0-9863.