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Residents press Pine Bluff council to enforce curfew after shootings; officials point to broader trends
Summary
During public comments, residents urged stricter curfew enforcement following recent shootings; council officials said a curfew exists, noted many perpetrators are older adults and described investigative and prevention efforts.
Residents at the Pine Bluff council meeting urged officials to enforce a curfew after recent shootings and other violent incidents.
A resident (S4) said the city’s young people were "putting lives in danger" and called for curfew enforcement and follow-up with parents: "We need something put in place, we need to find the parents somebody, we need to follow back up on this curfew." The speaker said the previous curfew ran from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. and urged renewed enforcement.
The presiding official (S2) and the mayor (S1) responded that the city does have a curfew and stressed that violent incidents involve people across age groups. The mayor noted that several victims and perpetrators this year have been in their 30s or 40s and said the police department has solved most homicides so far: "All but one of the homicides that have been perpetrated this year have been solved." Officials emphasized both enforcement and preventive measures, saying some parents and guardians were working while others were grandparents caring for youth.
Council members announced the public safety committee will meet on Wednesday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the Old Council Chambers, with a Zoom option, for further discussion.
No formal policy change or vote on curfew enforcement was recorded in the meeting transcript.
