Raleigh moves to enact youth curfew in response to "teen takeover"
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The Raleigh City Council moved Tuesday to enact a youth curfew in the city after “teen takeovers” led to violence across the city over the holiday weekend.
Why it matters: The proposal would mark a major shift in how Raleigh responds to juvenile crime, and underscores the challenge cities nationwide face as social media-fueled youth gatherings increasingly test public safety resources.
Catch up quick: City officials, business leaders and residents expressed serious concern after a wave of violence rocked two neighborhoods on July 4.
- Thousands of youths flooded Brier Creek and the Glenwood South nightlife area, leading to arrests.
Driving the news: After hearing from a visibly frustrated Raleigh police chief Rico Boyce — who asked the city for a curfew after responding to the late-night violence — the city council asked for the city’s attorneys to begin drafting an ordinance that would apply to those 17 and younger.
- The ordinance must be cleared with the district attorney's office. The earliest it could likely be enforced is August, Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said.
- In the meantime, the mayor can call for a curfew under certain emergency measures, including if intelligence indicates another teen takeover is planned.
State of play: Teen takeovers have become a trend across the country in recent years, most frequently resulting in hundreds of people gathering in public areas through social media.
What they’re saying: "The actions we saw on Saturday is something I have never seen in my 26 years in the Raleigh police department,” Boyce told the council, noting that the city has seen a spike in the number of teenagers with access to guns.
- In addition to asking for a curfew, Boyce suggested potentially adding backpack restrictions.
- “What happened the night of the Fourth … is totally unacceptable and can’t be tolerated in the city of Raleigh,” Cowell said after Boyce’s presentation.
What happened: Boyce said Saturday night started with intel that a teen takeover was planned for the Moore Square area of downtown. Raleigh Police were initially able to diffuse a gathering of about 75 people.
- Around 10:30pm, police responded to multiple fights near the movie theater in the Brier Creek area and found about 3,000 youths there, Boyce told the city council.
- While breaking up the fights, Boyce said, a shooting between two of the groups wounded two adults not involved in the takeover.
- Shortly after, a larger takeover of around 5,000 youths happened in the Glenwood South nightlife area, according to Boyce. Many of the people involved in Brier Creek, he said, were seen at the Glenwood South takeover.
- Fights broke out again and four separate shootings in the area occurred between 1:30am and 3:30am, injuring six people.
- In total, Raleigh police made 29 arrests, filed four juvenile petitions and seized 11 guns. Boyce said those in attendance came from across the state.
Between the lines: Boyce acknowledged that curfews alone are not going to change the situation. He said the city has to do a better job of connecting teens to city programming, including its youth employment program and Hoop Nights, and that parents need to also enforce curfews.
- He said the police department needs to do a better job of communicating to parents that they can be liable for the actions of their children.
- “Parents need to come to the table. They have a voice,” he said.