Committee advances temporary curfew change for minors, adds officer indemnification

The Indianapolis City-County Council Public Safety Committee voted Wednesday to advance an ordinance that would temporarily move up curfew hours for minors across the consolidated city-county and add language clarifying indemnification for officers who lawfully enforce the rule.

The amendment, introduced at the committee meeting on July 16 and read into the record by Corporation Counsel Brandon Beeler, adds temporary "public safety curfew" sections to Chapter 3.81 of the consolidated code that would: make it unlawful for a 15-, 16- or 17-year-old to be in a public place after 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and after 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday (and before 5 a.m. any day); and set the curfew for children younger than 15 at after 9 p.m. and before 5 a.m. The change advances the city—s existing curfew hours by up to two hours and includes a 120-day sunset unless the council acts again.

Beeler said the city must follow state procedures to "advance the curfew hours by 2 hours" and pointed to state law governing the process, saying the amendment "follows the procedures required by state law to advance the curfew hours by 2 hours." He read the new section numbers the draft adds and noted that, absent further council action, the advanced hours would expire after 120 days and revert to the standard curfew codified in sections 381.101 and 381.102.

Why it matters: Committee members and public-safety officials said the change responds to violent incidents downtown, including two juveniles who died after July 4. Supporters said the temporary advancement is intended as a public-safety tool while the city ramps up outreach and other interventions.

"What we've seen over the last 6 weeks, in the core of our city is unacceptable," said Chief Chris Bailey, calling recent downtown incidents "unacceptable behavior" and urging action rather than inaction. "Doing nothing is unacceptable," he said.

Operational plans and outreach: Assistant Chief Wally described how the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department will enforce the curfew in the near term and outlined a nonpunitive approach intended to reduce harm. "We will do these warnings 30 minutes prior to the curfew. We will do them again 15 minutes prior to curfew, and then we will give the final notice right when curfew is in effect," Wally said, adding that warnings will be made in English and Spanish. Officers will seek to clear areas and offer a downtown reunification center where…