Committee advances 11 p.m. citywide curfew for under-18s and 9 p.m. downtown district

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…