CMPD asks city leaders to tighten youth curfew after takeovers

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department asked city leaders on Tuesday morning to impose a curfew for anyone under 18 in response to teen takeovers.

The police department also asked leaders to change the time to 9 p.m. every day. Currently, the curfew is 11 p.m. for 13-to 15-year-olds, and 10 p.m. for kids 12 and under.

On Saturday, CMPD arrested 12 minors and cited 10 adults in connection with a planned takeover at The Boardwalk shopping center in University City.

Recently, more than 200 teens packed into Romare Bearden Park in Uptown Charlotte despite a curfew.

Caleb Neal, manager of the nearby Legacy Sneaker Boutique, told Channel 9 he observed the early stages of the gathering.

Neal said, “All I saw was mobs of kids. It just seemed okay because it’s summer vacation.” He noted that “20-plus kids came in our store, walking around.”

However, as sunset approached, Neal witnessed a shift in the police approach from a laid-back presence to one of enforcement.

“We close up, and I see five or six cops’ cars on the corner, just rounding people up,” Neal said.

Neal reflected on the difficulty of balancing youth activities with public impact.

“When I was a kid, that definitely would have bothered me a little bit. But I guess I can see where they’re coming from, if it’s really becoming a nuisance,” Neal said.

CMPD is asking Charlotte City Council to increase the curfew age to anyone under 18 and lower the curfew time to 9 pm every day of the week. The current curfew is 11 pm for kids 13-15 and 10 pm for kids under 12. CMPD says it is difficult to verify age because kids those ages…
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) July 14, 2026

There are exceptions to the curfew. This includes if the minor is with their parents, guardian, or a trusted adult over 21.

Exceptions also include running errands, working, attending religious activities, and participating in organization-sponsored sports.

Charlotte City Council’s safety committee unanimously voted in favor of the new curfew rules. The full Charlotte City Council still must vote on the measure. The hope is to get it voted on soon.

The next business meeting isn’t until Aug. 10.

So, a special meeting will be called so the new curfew can go into effect faster, Charlotte Councilmember Dante Anderson told Channel 9’s Joe Bruno.

Publicly posted TikToks show the chaos when hundreds of teenagers took over The Boardwalk.

“Those police resources were dispersing crowds, breaking up fights, directing traffic, assisting patrons and residents to get to their vehicles, and employees because they were caught up in the melee,” said CMPD Dep. Chief Jacquelyn Bryley.

Like other major cities, CMPD has been dealing with teen takeovers all summer long, including one at Romare Bearden Park.

The department finds out about them because kids are advertising them on social media.

They basically all end up in arrests and citations.

CMPD Chief Estella Patterson said more needs to be done.

“If we don’t get a handle on this, the consequences could be deadly,” the police chief said.

Chief Patterson said it is hard to enforce the current curfew because officers have difficulty verifying ages since many kids don’t have IDs yet.

“We can definitely distinguish the ages of our young people when they have ID. When they don’t, it makes it very problematic,” Patterson said.

She said this isn’t about getting people in trouble; however, teens cannot be allowed to cause chaos.

Community members say it takes a team effort.

“It’s not about criminalizing the young people,” said Robert Merriwether, ARC Ministries, Inc. “It’s about providing a safe place for them to gather and do what they’ve been wanting to do for years.”