Council tables juvenile curfew ordinance after concerns about daytime enforcement and equity

On June 9 the Milledgeville City Council heard Ordinance O-2605-17, which would establish a curfew for minors under 16. The ordinance, drafted with input from the police chief, authorizes officers to issue an initial warning, return a child to a guardian and, on subsequent incidents, refer the child to juvenile court and possibly cite the parent or guardian.

During discussion council members and speakers raised several concerns: Gregory Barnes and other residents argued the ordinance could disproportionately affect Black and brown youth and sweep in noncriminal young people; school‑day and summertime exemptions and protections for homeschooled children were questioned; and members asked how officers would determine a child's age in the field without ID.

City attorney Mr. Jordan said the charter limits the council’s authority to impose curfews to under‑16s in the city's charter (noting other jurisdictions commonly use under‑18), and that the ordinance as drafted would start with warnings and leave enforcement discretion to officers. Council members asked to hear from the police chief about implementation details and data on potential disparate impacts. After extended discussion, the council withdrew the motion to adopt and voted to table the ordinance for further study and suggested amendments, including clarifying daytime exceptions for school and homeschooled children and seeking police‑department guidance on practical enforcement procedures.

Next steps: The council directed staff to gather additional information, and the ordinance will return to a future meeting with proposed changes and chief's input. No adoption vote was taken at this meeting.