The Public Safety and Governance Committee voted to forward two ordinances that would change Cincinnati's juvenile curfew rules: one would set a single citywide curfew time of 11 p.m. for all people under 18; the other would establish a special extended curfew district downtown where the curfew would begin at 9 p.m.

The measures were presented by the city manager's office and Solicitor Emily Smart Warner as part of a broader effort to pair enforcement with expanded youth programming and community supports. "There is one ordinance that will, if passed, amend the curfew time to be a single time for all youth under the age of 18, and that time is 11PM," Solicitor Emily Smart Warner said during the committee presentation. The solicitor also described the proposed downtown map for the extended curfew district and listed exceptions included in the draft ordinances.

City Manager staff described a multi-part operational plan for enforcement and care. If Cincinnati Police Department officers encounter an unaccompanied minor after curfew, they would first encourage compliance and, if necessary, detain the youth. "If an adult cannot be contacted, they will go to a curfew center," the city manager's presentation said, naming 7 Hills Neighborhood House as the proposed neutral intake location and Lighthouse Youth & Family Services as the overnight partner when reunification that night is not possible. The manager said the administration hoped to finalize contracts with those partners as soon as the weekend following council action.

Police Chief Fiji told the committee the change affects only curfew hours, not department policy. "The only thing in CPD's policies and procedures that will be modified because of this proposed ordinance are the times of the curfews," Chief Fiji said. "Everything else ... will remain the same. How we deal with the kids, where we take them, warnings, citations, all of that will remain the same."

Judge Bloom of Hamilton County Juvenile Court briefed the committee on legal limits and consequences. She described a curfew violation as a status offense and said a juvenile cannot be detained at the Hamilton County youth detention center solely for a curfew violation. "If you were only charged with curfew, you would not be eligible to be admitted to the detention center," Judge Bloom said. She added that status-offense entries are eligible to be sealed or expunged and that diversion and service referrals are the likely next steps when curfew is the only issue.

Committee discussion emphasized pairing enforcement with outreach and alternatives. Several council members and community speakers urged expanded communication, active outreach by community responders and recreation programming, and use of curfew centers as a last resort. Vice Mayor Jan Kearney called attention to community responder programs and youth employment and education connections, while council members pressed for clarity on how the curfew would be applied outside the downtown entertainment district.

Council Member Ann Albee successfully offered an amendment requiring the administration to provide a report within 10 business days outlining how the curfew effort would be implemented and whether additional funding would be necessary; the amendment passed on a committee roll call. Chair Scotty Johnson opened the committee's votes by saying the measures were intended to keep young people safe: "These are not the same young people from the nineties. It's a different era," he said.

The committee moved both ordinances forward to the full council. The administration said it will continue coordination with Cincinnati Police Department, Job and Family Services and nonprofit partners, and will use social media and partner networks to notify families and youth about the new hours if the council adopts the ordinances.

Implementation details that remain to be finalized include exact exception language in the municipal code, staffing and hours for the named curfew centers, and operational logistics for handling large, noncompliant groups. The city manager told the committee she was working to finalize agreements with 7 Hills and Lighthouse as soon as contracts could be completed.

What happened next: the committee forwarded the two ordinances and the administration will prepare the report required by the council amendment before broader implementation.