Enforcement of new curfew rules for unsupervised minors in Cincinnati will begin Friday night.
City Council approved the curfew changes last week, amending the citywide curfew that had been in place for decades, and establishing a special extended curfew district Downtown and in part of Over-the-Rhine.
Mayor Aftab Pureval told reporters Wednesday it's part of "extraordinary" efforts to respond to safety concerns, especially Downtown and in Over-the-Rhine and The Banks.
"Cincinnati is safe — the Downtown, OTR areas are safe — but what is very important right now is that they need to be safer," Pureval said. "Too many people perceive Downtown and OTR as unsafe, and that is very important."
Curfew rules
The new citywide curfew is 11 p.m. for anyone under age 18 that is not accompanied by an adult over age 21. Within the "special extended curfew district" the curfew begins at 9 p.m.
The extended curfew district begins at Liberty Street and extends south to the river; the western boundary is Central Parkway and Central Avenue, and the eastern boundary is Sycamore Street and Broadway.
Pureval says the goal is to keep kids safe without criminalizing them: "We want to prevent them from being victims of crime, and we want to prevent having to create a criminal record on a kid that will follow them for the rest of their lives."
What happens if a teen violates curfew?
Young people violating curfew will first be approached by non-police city staff, encouraging youth to go home. If that fails, a police officer would step in.
"CPD is trained to ask for compliance," Pureval said. "If that fails, to tell the person to comply; and if that fails, to demand compliance."
Police Chief Teresa Theetge says young people violating curfew will first be asked to simply go home or contact a parent or guardian to pick them up. If the teen doesn't comply, a police officer may detain them and transport them to a safe location: their home; a curfew center that will be established at Seven Hills Neighborhood House in the West End; or (if the person is being charged with a crime or has an outstanding warrant) the Hamilton County Youth Detention Center.
Staff at Seven Hills will make further attempts to contact a parent or guardian and provide transportation home. If an adult cannot be reached, the teen will be taken to Lighthouse Youth and Family Services's Mecum House for voluntary overnight care.
The Seven Hills curfew center and Lighthouse will be staffed on Friday and Saturday nights. On other nights, officers would still try to locate a parent or guardian.
"If all efforts fail in contacting a parent, then we would take the youth up to 2020 [the Youth Detention Center]," said Theetge.
From there, Judge Kari Bloom of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court says she's working with city officials to identify community volunteers who could help transport kids home.
A minor who violates curfew could be "guilty of a curfew violation" while their parent, guardian, or any other adult responsible for that minor could be charged with a minor misdemeanor.
The judge says a curfew violation is what's known as a status offense.
"It's only against the law because of your age," Bloom said. That means a minor cannot be incarcerated on a curfew violation alone. A teen may be booked into the Hamilton County Youth Detention Center if they are also charged with crimes, or if they have an outstanding warrant.
Teens transported to Mecum House are not obligated to stay there.
Safety at transit centers
Pureval says with school starting soon, the city will ramp up youth engagement efforts that have proven successful over the past couple of years.
Students tend to congregate at Metro transit centers after school as they use the bus system to get home. A few violent assaults near Government Square in early 2024 sparked public concern about youth violence. Not long after, a team led by Iris Roley of the Cincinnati Black United Front started spending time there to supervise and offer support, including things like food and toiletries.
Pureval says Metro has implemented new policies:
- Student Metro passes will stop working at 5 p.m. to encourage kids to get home as soon as possible
- Restrictions on unnecessary transfers through Government Square
The city also worked to relocate a nearby liquor store, with that space now in use as a Metro security office.
Other public safety efforts
Pureval says previously announced public safety initiatives will continue, including Ohio State Highway Patrol officers managing traffic safety on highways within the city, freeing up CPD officer time.
Other initiatives include:
- Walking patrols
- Roving street crimes taskforce
- Scooter and Red Bike restrictions
- Roadway safety enforcement blitzes
- FUSUS Camera Network
- Additional 3CDC commitments
Learn more about each of these efforts below:
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