CHARLOTTE — Charlotte City Council is expected to talk about a proposed citywide 9 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18, a move prompted by a series of large teen takeovers that have led to arrests and raised public safety concerns. Charlotte Mayor Rob Harrington will be attending his first business meeting as mayor on Monday night.
Takeovers have been a problem all summer long.
Many of these takeovers are promoted on social media and can draw hundreds of teens to one location, officials with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.
In June, nearly two dozen teens were arrested after more than 200 gathered in Romare Bearden Park in Uptown.
[ READ MORE: CMPD asks city leaders to tighten youth curfew after takeovers ]
There was a similar teen takeover in July at the Boardwalk Shopping Center in University City. Police arrested 12, including teens.
The curfew is currently set at 11 p.m. for 13- and 15-year-olds and at 10 p.m. for children 12 and younger.
The takeovers often end with arrests and citations.
CMPD Chief Estella Patterson also said it’s hard for officers to verify ages because many of the kids don’t have IDs yet.
Their biggest concern is what could happen next, she said.
“If we don’t get a handle on this, the consequences could be fatal,” Patterson said.
The goal is to keep teens safe, police said.
Last month, Charlotte City Council’s safety committee unanimously passed the new curfew rules out of committee.
Charlotte City Council isn’t scheduled to take action Monday night, but it will give us a look at whether some members are wavering in their support of a stronger curfew.