Atlanta, GA
Atlanta City Council to vote on changes to city’s teen curfew
ATLANTA – The Atlanta City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a new curfew for teens in an attempt to curb youth crime in the city.
The vote comes after a string of deadly shootings involving young victims such as 16-year-old Bre’Asia Powell, who was killed at a graduation party in the parking lot of an Atlanta high school in late May.
Council member Antonio Lewis told FOX 5 that Powell’s death was the last straw that led him to work with council member Keisha Waites on the latest changes to the city’s curfew.
“Little girls aren’t exempt from Atlanta’s violence anymore,” Lewis said.
Bre’Asia Powell (Supplied)
Also on officials’ minds are 12-year-old Zyion Charles and 15-year-old Cameron Jackson, who were two of the six people shot in late November on the 17th Street bridge just after their group was removed from the property of Atlantic Station.
Six suspects, including multiple 15-year-olds, have been arrested in connection with their deaths.
(From left to right: Zyion Charles, Cameron Jackson) (FOX 5 Atlanta)
The proposal in front of the City Council would move the current 11 p.m. curfew up to 8 p.m. on weeknights and 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
“The proposal in November was as a result of the loss of Zyion and Cameron,” Waites said. “That original legislation I asked for 7 p.m. curfew. Many people aren’t aware we have an existing city on the books for 11 p.m.”
Earlier this month, a City Council committee adjusted the penalties for parents whose teens were caught breaking curfew.
The first violation would result in a warning or citation. The second would require the child and his or her parent or guardian to attend a parenting workshop.
“Typically if caught breaking curfew. There was a penalty, parents could spend 90 days in jail and face a fine up to $1,000,” Lewis said. This new proposal eliminates those consequences.
Atlanta mayor addresses teen shooting
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens addresses a shooting at an unauthorized graduation party that killed a 16-year-old girl and injured a 16-year-old boy near Benjamin E Mays High School in southwest Atlanta on May 28, 2023.
Those pushing for the changes hope the faces of the young lives lost will explain the need.
Another change would allow access to jobs for kids as young as 14 with the hope that if they’re busy, young people won’t have time to get into trouble.
The plan would still include exceptions for work-related, sports, and extracurricular activities.
The Council is expected to meet at 1 p.m. at Atlanta City Hall.