Raleigh city officials discussed a potential curfew for young people 17 and under Tuesday, which Police Chief Rico Boyce said is necessary due to a sharp increase in juvenile crime this year.
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The discussion follows Fourth of July “teen takeovers” that saw thousands of young people show up at Glenwood South and Brier Creek. There were six shootings and dozens of arrests. Police provided new details Tuesday.
Council members set a date for a vote but also raised concerns with the curfew, especially about how it could potentially unfairly punish Black youth as well as other segments of the population.
The proposed ordinance would enact a curfew for anyone under 18 from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. with a number of exceptions.
Those exceptions include:
Enforcement would require an officer to ask the juvenile their age and why they are out.
A minor, a parent or guardian, an adult who aids or abets the child in violating the curfew or an establishment that hosts a juvenile in violation of the ordinance could be penalized under the proposed ordinance.
Juveniles could go through a juvenile court if found in violation, while anyone else could be charged an up to $500 fine.
Raleigh police gave new details about the Fourth of July “takeovers” during their presentation Tuesday.
Of the six total shootings that police investigated after the Fourth, Boyce told the council that juveniles were the primary participants.
Four of the nine victims and all the people arrested in connection with the shootings were minors.
Police are still investigating two shootings, but Boyce said they made another arrest Tuesday of a minor in connection with one of the shootings.
Boyce also said overall juveniles crimes are already up 9% this year from 2025, which is part of why he is pushing for a curfew.
Police also provided more specific crime statistics from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. — the hours of the proposed curfew.
So far this year — during the proposed curfew hours —the number of shots fired by minors into dwellings and vehicles is up from five to 12, the number people shot by juveniles has gone from seven to 12 and the number of actual bullets fired into vehicles and dwellings by minors has gone from 15 to 190.
Council member Megan Patton said the ordinance would curtail people’s rights to move around, and the city has to be careful with that.
Boyce said that the curfew could help keep juveniles safe by keeping them out of the way of late-night crimes.
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Patton pushed back.
“Should women just not be allowed in bars because then they won’t get raped?” she asked.
She also said the exceptions could be discriminatory: a wealthy kid going to a Carolina Hurricanes’ game would be excused, but a kid going to Cookout for a shake might not qualify.
She did say that she wants to make sure that police have a parental accountability tool, which the ordinance could help provide.
Council member Stormie Forte wants to make sure that children, particularly Black and brown kids, are not unfairly targeted.
Boyce said the curfew would only be enforced on a complaint basis, as in when another crime is alleged to have happened.
Council member Mitchell Silver said it’s important that the city has a balanced approach, with the curfew on one side while continuing to better the city’s youth programming and engagement on the other.
The council also received a presentation on the city’s youth engagement efforts. Tiesha Mosley, the city’s community engagement director, told the council how the city reached out to hear from youth over the summer.
Many want more gathering spaces outside the home, including spaces that are just for teens, Mosley said.
Council member Jane Harrison urged the council to take its time.
“I know I felt really hot” immediately after the takeover incidents, Harrison said. But now that she’s cooled off, she wants to talk more before making a decision.
The council agreed to schedule the vote for its meeting on Sept. 15.
Many pushed back against the Police Department’s assertion that teenagers made up much of the crowds on the Fourth.
Shane Stanley, a Glenwood South resident, told the council Tuesday that he was on Glenwood Avenue during the Fourth.
“I would not describe the agitators as teenagers, rather they were grown adults,” Stanley said of the incidents there. “Calling it a takeover is a deception so you all can slap a curfew on the issue and don’t have to address the controversial topic of gun violence in our city.”
Ramiyah Robinson is a youth organizer at the Education Justice Alliance, which advocates for equity in education. She told the council that data shows curfews unfairly criminalize young people, especially Black youth.
Private businesses like malls and movie theaters already implement curfews, which limit where kids can go, she said.
Others added that the city should focus on providing youth programming and engaging teens rather than a curfew.
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This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 3:55 PM.