We ran a story in the Freeman the other day that said the town of Woodstock may institute a curfew in an attempt to reduce late-night crime by youths.

Dan Leader, owner of the Bread Alone bakery in Woodstock, is among those pushing for the curfew. In making his case to the Town Board this week, Leader said his business was "broken into six times last year" and that the vandals "broke the pipes (and) flooded the building." He also said his staff has "had to clean up countless hypodermic needles on our patio."

"It's serious," Leader said. And I agree.

But does he, or anyone, really think a curfew will solve the problem?

Young people who violate municipal curfews generally are picked up by police, taken home to their parents and given a warning - and perhaps are fined if the problem persists.

The people who have caused Leader so much anguish clearly have no qualms about breaking and entering, destroying property and using illegal drugs - crimes that could land them in prison for several years. It's my guess, then, that they're not likely to be deterred by the prospect of being caught violating a town curfew.

Municipalities and their police departments need to reduce crime, to be sure, but success will require more than simply telling young people to be off the streets by a certain time.