Late-night trips downtown could soon come with consequences for Indianapolis teens.
Following a July 5 shooting that left two teens dead and five others injured, city leaders passed a new curfew limiting when 15 and 16-year-olds can be out at night. This was passed on August 11 keeping these teens inside past 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The new curfew will not be implemented at all times but only when there is heightened community safety concern. The City Council has not outlined when or how the curfew will be enforced or how residents will be notified.
“I didn’t know about the curfew until my friend told me,” junior Reagan Stickle said.
The new curfew has started to gain a slight increase in attention over the past few weeks however, a large majority of North Central students have stated that they didn’t know it was a thing.
The previous standard curfew that 17 year-olds will still follow is 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 1 a.m. Fridays through Saturdays. Before this curfew passed there was a large debate over whether or not 17 year-olds should be included.
“I think that 17 year-olds should be excluded as that‘s the age where more students begin to drive and get jobs. Laws typically take into account that as children get older, they are given more freedoms,” Vice Principal and Head of Security Nick Brewer said.
Many Indianapolis teens worry the curfew is unfair especially for those involved in after-school activities. Sixteen-year-old Varsity soccer player Reagan Stickle often gets home well past 9 p.m. on game nights.
“If our game starts at 7 p.m. I get home around 9:30 p.m., but if it’s an away game I get home even later,” Stickle said.
Some wonder if this curfew will be effective in improving community safety and keeping kids off the streets late at night.
“Curfews give law enforcement another tool to use,” Brewer said. “A curfew can allow law enforcement to dissipate the crowd before a life-altering crime occurs. Ultimately though, other policies and investments are needed so that young people have places to socialize and ways to appropriately handle conflict. A curfew alone will not stop teen violence.”
This aligns with many opinions from Indianapolis residents. The violence downtown has raised lots of concern for people in the community.
The city councilors and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department have been working together to find ways to reduce crime in our city.
“I told the councilors that we would work with them and whatever proposal they come up with- Frankly, it’s beyond just a curfew. That’s a tool. It’s not the only tool. There are bigger issues that we have to address as a society,” IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said when answering questions at a City-County Council meeting.
The curfew offers a new approach to balancing community safety with the rights and needs of adolescents in Indianapolis.
The policy aims to prevent violence and protect our citizens but also raises concerns of fairness, how it will be enforced, and the impact it could have on teens and their families.
The lasting effect of this curfew will be determined by the consistency of its enforcement. Citizens will be watching closely for what changes we will see in teen safety and reduction of violence over the next few months.
