Charlotte leaders consider pilot program before changing teen curfew – spectrumlocalnews.com

Charlotte leaders consider pilot program before changing teen curfew  spectrumlocalnews.com

Charlotte City Council held off on a 9 p.m. teen curfew, asking CMPD to consider a pilot program before a future vote. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte City Council members held off on voting Monday night on a proposal that would move the city’s teen curfew to 9 p.m., instead asking the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to consider testing the change through a pilot program. CMPD Chief Estella Patterson proposed setting a 9 p.m. curfew for all teens under 18 as police work to curb large gatherings known as “teen takeovers,” which officers say can escalate into fights, property damage and gun violence. “I am very concerned that if we don’t get a handle on this, it could become fatal,” Patterson said.

Council members raised concerns about how an earlier curfew could affect teens who are not involved in criminal activity, including those leaving movies or other evening activities. Members also questioned how traffic violations could factor into enforcement and how an earlier curfew would work as the seasons change. Rather than immediately changing the ordinance, council members suggested Patterson consider a pilot program and return to council with its results before a potential vote. Patterson has stressed that the proposal is intended to give officers another way to intervene, rather than broadly target teens. “We will not be instituting a curfew