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Raleigh officials to seek citywide curfew for under-18s after July 4–5 disturbances
Summary
Mayor Janet Kahl said the city will direct the city attorney to draft a citywide curfew focused on those 17 and under after disturbances the night of July 4–5; the draft is expected at council on Aug. 18 and the mayor said she can impose short emergency curfews if needed.
Mayor Janet Kahl said at a press briefing that the disturbances the night of July 4 and 5 were “unacceptable” and that the City of Raleigh will pursue a curfew aimed at protecting young people and holding perpetrators accountable.
“[W]hat happened the night of July 4th and 5th ... is unacceptable and really won't be tolerated here,” Mayor Janet Kahl said, adding that the full city council is backing the police department and the next step is to have the city attorney draft curfew language.
Kahl said the draft ordinance will likely be citywide, focus on people 17 and under, and will be presented to the City Council on Aug. 18 for hearings and votes. She also said, working with the police chief and city manager, she has emergency authority to call a short curfew if there is a credible threat before council acts.
Police Chief Rico Boyce thanked city leaders for their support and framed the curfew as part of a coordinated response to recent public-safety incidents. “A curfew ... we're gonna protect everybody and make sure that our youth they don't become a victim of crime,” Chief Boyce said, describing the protective intent behind the policy.
Reporters asked officials how a curfew aimed at minors would address enforcement patterns from the weekend. One questioner cited weekend statistics spoken at the briefing — described in the transcript as “29 to 4 adults to juvenile petitions” — and noted that many people held accountable were adults. Chief Boyce said the department did not have a juvenile-vs.-adult breakdown available at the briefing and offered to provide those numbers on follow-up: “I do not have those numbers with me, today. If you follow back up, we can provide that.”
When asked whether the city would prosecute juveniles or their parents for curfew violations, officials said it was too early to describe enforcement or prosecution plans. Chief Boyce said the city is “so early in this process” and could not yet outline how prosecution would be handled.
City Parks representatives said the city will also focus on programming to keep young people engaged. Stephen Bentley of Raleigh Parks said he and colleagues plan to "reboot" programming, involve teams in deciding what programs are delivered, and assess what is effective. Tyesha Mosley emphasized partnerships with schools, nonprofits and community agencies to expand options for teens.
Diekel, the city's communications director, closed the briefing and said officials would return to council business while remaining available to take follow-up questions and provide additional information.
What happens next: The city attorney will draft curfew language to be presented to City Council on Aug. 18; officials said follow-up data on arrests and petitions will be provided after the briefing.
