Parents could face a $500 fine if their child breaks a new, year-long curfew that went in effect in one North Carolina city on Tuesday night in an effort to curb youth crime.
Why It Matters
The Fayetteville City Council passed the new ordinance at its Tuesday meeting in a 5-4 vote. The ordinance prohibits kids 16 years old and younger from being in public places between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. every day, although there are exceptions to the new rule, such as if there is an emergency, the child is at work or an afterschool activity or is with their parents.
The pilot program was launched after city leadership noted a rise in crimes involving juveniles.
What to Know
Although the ordinance is now in effect, Mayor Mitch Colvin said the city will enact a phased approach, ABC 11 reported. On June 9, city leadership will discuss implementation of the curfew and educate the community regarding the rules and expectations when it comes to compliance, Colvin told Newsweek.
Colvin said he hopes the curfew encourages youth to comply with the city’s laws, and he views the community’s parents as a “very important part” of the effort.
During Colvin’s eight years as mayor, he said there has been a “pretty good progressive decline in overall crime.” However, there are upward trends in crimes committed by juveniles.
In 2023, Colvin said there were 1,500 incidents of crimes committed by juveniles in a 15-month period. When the same time period was reassessed this year, the incidents increased to nearly 2,000.
“We can’t continue to allow our young people to not only make these mistakes, but also a lot times they’re victims to these crimes,” he told Newsweek.
Colvin said the crimes committed by juveniles range from assaults to car thefts, particularly among Hyundai and Kia vehicles. He said he’s particularly concerned about the number of weapons confiscated from the city’s youth population.
What People Are Saying
Colvin told Newsweek: “Sometimes we’ve got to make tough decisions, but our community and our city deserves to have a safe, secure environment, and our children need protection. I look at it more as a protection mechanism than it is a restriction, and I hope our parents see it the same way.”
Dinesha Neal, who runs the Jai6 Youth Foundation and doesn’t feel the curfew is the best solution, told CBS 17: “It seems like there’s no real solution. There are so many programs [that need] funding. [Officials need] to see what’s going on in the community. The curfew is the last thing on our minds. Is the curfew going to criminalize our youth? Is that something else we are going to have to focus on now?”
What Happens Next
The ordinance immediately went into effect after councilors approved it Tuesday night. Another meeting will be held June 9 to discuss implementation.
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