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 youth taken into custody can be referred to service providers and reunited with parents.

Wally said the goal is to "give young people time to leave the area, get home safely" and described the reunification center as a staffed safe location intended to connect youth with mental-health services, mentoring, academic assistance and job-readiness resources. "Parents or guardians will be contacted immediately," he said; if parents cannot be reached, youth may be transported to the youth services center for additional attempts to contact guardians.

Andrew Merkley, director of the Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS), and Shardae Hoskins, the city's lead chief violence reduction officer, said OPHS will support the reunification center and deploy outreach teams and violence interrupters downtown. Merkley said OPHS has held pop-up events since July 4 and plans more, and Hoskins said the outreach teams will be visible downtown this weekend to "spread messages of peace, and nonviolent conflict resolution." Service providers including Heather Savage (Let Them Talk) and Misha White (Children—s Policy & Law Initiative of Indiana) described their roles in staffing the center and following up with youth.

Legal and liability provisions: The draft ordinance cites Indiana code provisions that allow a municipality to advance curfew hours by ordinance (counsel referenced Indiana Code 31-37-3-4 in committee discussion) and includes an administrative section stating that the temporary advancement expires after 120 days. Committee members also proposed and adopted an amendment to explicitly reference defense and indemnification for officers enforcing the ordinance; Corporation Counsel Beeler noted that such protections are already found in city code and state law (he cited Indiana Code 34-13-5(d) and (e) and the city's ordinance language) but supported adding a local reference to reassure officers.

Debate and concerns: Committee members pressed for clarity about how and when the temporary hours would take effect, whether the mayor or council would need to declare a public-safety finding, and how enforcement would interact with state curfew law. Councilor Dan Boots asked how readers of the code will know when the advanced hours apply; Beeler said the ordinance is intended to provide the council a clear mechanism to adopt the advancement and that the 120-day provision avoids repeatedly rewriting the code. Several councilors urged continued focus on parental accountability, community programs and measurement of interventions.

Public comment: Speakers at the meeting gave mixed responses. Andrew Cullen, a downtown resident, urged prompt adoption and wrote that "the curfew law is about keeping kids safe." Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, told the committee that officers "need to know that you are backing them 100%" and urged stronger action on criminal-justice system outcomes beyond the curfew. Chelsea English, a school social worker, urged city support for school‑based evening programs she said reduce risk.

Action: The committee voted to send the curfew proposal, as amended, to the full City-County Council with a due-pass recommendation and separately approved an amendment adding explicit indemnification/identification language for officers enforcing the ordinance. Final enactment requires full council action and, if approved there, the mayor's signature or other steps required by law.

What—s next: The committee chair said the council will revisit implementation and report back during the ordinance—s effective period if adopted; enforcement, outreach and the reunification center will be active while the measure moves to the full council.

Speakers

- Leroy Robinson, District 1, chair, Public Safety Committee (Council) - Brandon Beeler, Corporation Counsel (City legal counsel) - Chief Chris Bailey (Police chief) [identified in public comment and by officials] - Assistant Chief Wally (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department) - Andrew Merkley, Director, Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) - Shardae Hoskins, Lead Chief Violence Reduction Officer, OPHS - Heather Savage, cofounder, Let Them Talk (community partner) - Misha White, Executive Director, Children—s Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana (community partner) - Andrew Cullen (public commenter) - Rick Snyder, President, Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police (public commenter) - Chelsea English, school social worker (public commenter)

Authorities

- ordinance: Chapter 3.81, sections 3.81.101, 3.81.102 (existing curfew code referenced); proposed new sections 3.81.103, 3.81.104, 3.81.105 (temporary public safety curfew) (referenced by Brandon Beeler) - statute: Indiana Code 31-37-3-4 (referenced by Brandon Beeler for procedure to advance curfew hours) - statute: Indiana Code 34-13-5(d) and (e) (referenced in committee discussion regarding defense and indemnification)

Actions

- Motion: Move to amend Chapter 3.81 to add public safety curfew sections advancing curfew hours as described (mover: Councilor Keith Graves). Outcome: Approved by committee; motion carries. Note: amendment sets a 120-day sunset for the advanced hours. - Motion: Adopt additional amendment to explicitly reference defense/indemnification for law enforcement acting lawfully (mover: Councilor Bain). Outcome: Approved. - Motion: Send the curfew proposal as amended to the full City-County Council with a due-pass recommendation (mover: Councilor Jessica McCormick). Outcome: Approved by committee; will be considered by full council.

Clarifying details

- Temporary advancement: advances curfew hours by up to 2 hours for minors and includes a 120-day sunset unless the council acts again. - Proposed new hours for ages 15—617: after 11 p.m. Friday/Saturday; after 9 p.m. Sunday—6Thursday; before 5 a.m. any day. - Proposed new hours for children under 15: after 9 p.m.; before 5 a.m. - Enforcement process described: prior warnings (30 and 15 minutes), bilingual PA announcements, reunification center for youth, attempts to contact guardians, transport to youth services center if guardian contact fails.

Proper_names

[{"name":"Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department","type":"agency"},{"name":"Office of Public Health and Safety","type":"agency"},{"name":"Let Them Talk","type":"organization"},{"name":"Children's Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana","type":"organization"},{"name":"Indianapolis City-County Council","type":"other"}]

Searchable_tags

[curfew,juvenile,public_safety,IMPD,OPHS,reunification,indemnification,Indianapolis]

Provenance

{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"b582","local_start":0,"local_end":210,"evidence_excerpt":"Thank you mister chairman, and thank you, councilors. Good evening. Again, my name is Brandon Beeler, the corporation council. I'm here to discuss, the motion to amend, the resolution that are proposing amendments to the revised code regarding the curfew. This resolution amends the curfew ordinance to add additional sections regarding public safety curfew hours for minors.","tc_start":"00:09:42","tc_end":"00:12:02","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"b6245","local_start":0,"local_end":240,"evidence_excerpt":"Thank you, mister chairman. I move that we send proposal 2 32 as amended to the full council with the due pass recommendation. As amended.","tc_start":"01:44:05","tc_end":"01:45:05","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]}