The Denville 13 by Peter Zablocki

Author:Peter Zablocki
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Denville chief of police Harry B. Jenkins in 1955. Denville Historical Society.

“Chief Jenkins,” began the Reverend, “what is the current state of juvenile delinquency in our town?” Jenkins shifted in his seat. He cleared his throat just loud enough for people to notice that he felt a bit anxious, perhaps even put on the spot. You are here to extinguish fires, he told himself. “Despite the publicity given to the arrest of 13 local youths on a murder charge, there really is not much juvenile delinquency in Denville.” For a moment, the room seemed even quieter than the concentrated stillness that had already characterized the mood. Glancing at the public, as if he were speaking directly to them and not the panel, the chief noticed a few heads nodding in approval.

He continued his thought, “Numerically the problem is not serious, but it is extremely serious in a few cases.” These were being handled on an individual basis. Before a follow up question was asked, the chief of police pointed to Judge Headley and continued, “[With regard to the curfew], it is not fair to penalize all for the misdeeds of a few; there is also the question on how a curfew would be enforced.”

When Jenkins reached for his glass of water, the reverend and moderator for the forum saw it as a sign that the police officer was done talking but instead of moving on, the chief pressed on.

Jenkins placed the glass down on the table. “There is the question of what police should do if they took the child home and found no parents there? Dover’s [the town next door] curfew is not enforced, and the Denville police department just hasn’t manpower to enforce one.” He knew he had to admit to that. “And then there is the problem of children coming out of the movies [in the center of town] after curfew hour.” Pointing to the audience, he added, “Some parents would resent interference with what they considered proper activity of their children.” The chief witnessed more nods from the crowd.

Seizing the opportunity, Ms. Hamilton added, “No child should be out after 10 p.m. on a school night.”

Having been rebuked early on, Mr. Whiton tried to steer the conversation in a new direction, “I do not favor the curfew, which I think is probably a violation of constitutional rights and might even lead to charges of assault against a police officer who compelled a child to go home in a police car when no other law had been broken.” Raising his voice just enough to be noticed, the Denville Herald editor returned to the earlier point raised by Ms. Hamilton: “The source of the problem is in the home with the parents, it would be better to concentrate on that line.”

The reverend saw a perfect opportunity to take a break. As people began to mingle and talk about what was just said, some moved closer to the front. It was almost time for the question-and-answer session—the real test of this forum’s ability to stay civil and avoid any finger pointing.

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