The Fayetteville City Council is one step closer to extending a curfew for juveniles indefinitely, despite opposition from some council members.
The council held its first round of votes during a budget work session June 4. The vote carried with seven council members in favor and two in opposition, Shaun McMillan and Deno Hondros.
The youth protection safety ordinance was adopted last year as a one-year pilot program, establishing a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for anyone 16 or younger.
Its purpose was to protect “juveniles from victimization and exposure to criminal activity” while also reinforcing and promoting the “role of the parent in raising and guiding children” and promoting their safety, as stated in the ordinance document.
Read More: Fayetteville forum on data center moratorium gets heated
The curfew — the latest version of an ordinance revisited several times in recent years — was implemented after a shooting on the outskirts of the Dogwood Festival, Assistant Police Chief Todd Joyce told The Fayetteville Observer on June 4.
The curfew focuses enforcement on the parents instead of criminalizing juveniles. Those found in public during curfew without an exemption, such as for work or emergencies, may be stopped by police. Police will then contact a parent or guardian.
The debate
The youth protection safety ordinance has been a highly debated topic among residents and council members.
“Across the board, this has been a bad idea,” Council member McMillan said. He said the ordinance criminalizes the youth instead of protecting them.
He noted concerns residents have had regarding discrimination against minors 16 and under, emphasizing that the curfew tears minors down rather than building them up.
He said the council will continue to create a negative attitude toward the city’s youth if they “have a philosophy and a leadership that puts a target on the backs of youths in this way.”
Mayor Mitch Colvin rebutted McMillan’s sentiments, saying the curfew does not criminalize the youth. He brought up the curfew’s name — youth protection safety ordinance — emphasizing the word “protection.”
Council member D.J. Haire agreed with Colvin. He voted in favor of the ordinance, stating that his District 4 constituents are in favor of the curfew and want to see it enforced.
Despite voting yes, Council member Lynne Greene said she is not personally for the curfew, but similar to Haire’s statements, her constituents in District 5 support it.
“I’m going to yield to the professionals,” she said at the meeting. “I know that (Police Chief Roberto Bryan) likes this tool, and I’ve had conversations with him. I also know that many of my district’s residents want this. So, I will be voting in favor for those reasons.”
Still to come
The council is set to take a second vote on whether to extend the curfew indefinitely at its regular meeting on June 22.
Reporting by Coral Aponte, Fayetteville Observer / The Fayetteville Observer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
