City leaders heard from the public Tuesday on Raleigh’s proposed youth curfew ordinance. Shortly after the city attorney presented a draft ordinance for discussion, members of the public weighed in.
Violence over the Independence Day weekend prompted city leaders to consider a youth curfew. Police said the incidents began at Brier Creek Commons, where about 3,000 teens showed up for a Star-Spangled Block Party near the shopping center's clock tower. Later that evening, police said about 5,000 teens flooded Glenwood South, where fights broke out. However, the majority of those arrested following the incidents were adults.
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Police Chief Rico Boyce announced that a fifth teen was taken into custody earlier Tuesday in connection with the shooting at Brier Creek. U.S. marshals arrested the teen in New York. They are charged with two counts of assault with deadly weapon, felony riot, discharging a firearm into occupied property and possession of a firearm by a minor.
Boyce gave the council a brief presentation explaining how the proposed curfew was structured, drawing from curfews already in place in other North Carolina cities and Raleigh police data involving juvenile crime.
“We are seeing the trend of violence with our juveniles increase year over year,” Boyce said.
Under the draft ordinance, a person 18 or younger would be in violation of the curfew if they were in a public place between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Exceptions would include young people traveling to or from work, home, school or a religious activity; participating in a First Amendment-protected activity; accompanied by an adult; or experiencing an emergency.
Teens accused of violating the curfew would be referred to juvenile court. Parents or guardians could face a misdemeanor charge or fine. Businesses that knowingly allow teens to remain on their property during curfew hours could also face penalties.
None of the more than a dozen people who signed up to speak about the curfew expressed support for it.
“They can't go to the mall, the movies. There are curfews already in place where, when I was a kid, I hung out at. We need to ask them where they need to go, what they need,” said Ramiyah Robinson of the Education Justice Alliance.
“How does a curfew make young people safer?" asked Zainab Baloch. "Raleigh needs reasons for young people to believe this city belongs to them too.”
Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Fayetteville and other North Carolina cities already have youth curfews in place.
The draft ordinance has been posted for public review, and the city plans to hold a public hearing on Sept. 15. The council took no action on the proposal Tuesday.