RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — After “teen takeovers” in the Glenwood South and Brier Creek during the Independence weekend, Raleigh City Council is expected to considered a teen curfew Tuesday (August 18)
In July, the council directed the City Attorney to draft a curfew ordinance for the council to review at its next meeting on August 18th. A task force is also being created to look at the broader issues surrounding youth and root causes that are leading to violence.
During a work session, the council is expected to discuss what it calls “a youth protection and curfew ordinance.”
“As Mayor, I am grateful for the actions of the Raleigh Police officers in response to the situations of juvenile violence across the City on the night of July 4 and the morning of July 5,” Cowell said in a statement shortly after the incidents. “Clearly, Raleigh is not exempt from the incidents of youth violence that are occurring across the country. We need to talk with the youth, their parents, schools, and the broader community to understand the root causes and to better coordinate strategies.”
Council members agreed that a curfew should be considered, while some questioned specifics and said that any such curfew should cover the entire city.
A task force is also being developed to look at root causes of teen violence.
In a press release, the Raleigh Police said the activity is similar to teen takeovers happening in cities across the country, and like those events, a number of the juveniles brought guns. Nearly 300 officers were on duty across the City on the evening of July 4 and into July 5.
Police estimate that about 3,000 teens showed up at Brier Creek and about 5,000 in Glenwood South, saying about half of the teens were from outside of Raleigh. After Raleigh police cleared Brier Creek, the juveniles reassembled in Glenwood South. Fights began again. With help from the Knightdale Police Department, Zebulon Police Department, Cary Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, it took about three hours to bring the situation under control.