MONTGOMERY – The Montgomery City Council has placed a curfew on minors in the city’s entertainment district.
At their July 15 meeting, the city council amended an ordinance to the entertainment district to exclude minors under the age of 17 from the district from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
There is a $500 fine for the first two offenses and jail time after three.
Montgomery Police Chief James Graboys told the city council that youths from 15 to 20 years old “sometimes hang around and sometimes cause trouble.”
The policy adopted on Tuesday was pushed by Councilor Marche Johnson and was opposed by council members Andrew Szymanski and Oronde Mitchell. Mitchell said he was concerned that a minor would not be required to provide their age or an ID if they were not committing a crime.
“We enforce things as we’re able to,” Graboys said.
In response to a question from Mitchell, Graboys said a minor detained without a parent may be taken in by the Youth Detention Facility if a violent act was committed. But failing that, a Department of Human Resources representative may take custody.
Graboys added that housing minors who violate the curfew could distract officers from their other duties.
Szymanski said he was concerned that the curfew would harm the city’s hospitality and tourism sector. Johnson assured Syzmanski that similar rules have been successful in other cities.
“Mobile is doing it, Birmingham is doing it,” she said. “It’s all a success, and this mirrors exactly what they’re doing.”
She also pointed out that the curfew policy has been communicated with businesses in the district and with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Montgomery City Council meets at 5 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of the month at City Hall on 103 North Perry Street. Recordings of meetings can be found on YouTube and Facebook. Agendas can be found here.
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