IMPD to enforce juvenile curfew laws after shooting involving teens in downtown Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — Indy police will begin enforcing state juvenile curfew laws this upcoming weekend following a shooting last Saturday near a downtown mall that injured seven minors. Indianapolis Metr… Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) will begin enforcing state juvenile curfew laws this weekend following a shooting near a downtown mall that injured seven minors. The police chief, Chris Bailey, announced that his officers will enforce a state statute limiting when Indy's youth can be outside. The curfew enforcement will focus on juveniles under the age of 15, who are supposed to be home between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., seven days a week, and teens between the ages of 15 and 17 who can stay out until 1 am. on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Increased police patrols will be implemented, with more uniformed officers and security cameras in the area. If juveniles break curfew, IMPD will move them to a safe place and contact their parents or guardians, who will be taken to the Juvenile Detention Center for a status offense. If a child's guardian fails to collect their child in a reasonable time, police will contact Child Services. Bailey called on parents to take responsibility for their children’s actions. He also mentioned that IMPD has entered into a trespassing agreement with 315 businesses in the downtown area to remove juveniles from these businesses and charge them with trespassing.
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INDIANAPOLIS — Indy police will begin enforcing state juvenile curfew laws this upcoming weekend following a shooting last Saturday near a downtown mall that injured seven minors.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Chris Bailey met with media on Thursday afternoon to announce that his officers will begin enforcing a state statute limiting when Indy’s youth can be outside.
“What we saw play out downtown last weekend is simply unacceptable,” Bailey said. “Our residents deserve better. Our children deserve better. And a small number of our children need to be better. A curfew will not solve all of our problems. But it is another tool to use.”
IMPD officers investigated a shooting around 11:45 p.m. last Saturday where seven juveniles, ranging in age from 12 to 16, were injured near Circle Center Mall in downtown Indy.
As police continue to investigate the shooting, IMPD has now responded with a downtown safety plan that includes enforcing curfew laws for juveniles.
“It is not our goal to round up and arrest kids. There will be no mass arrests,” Bailey said. “Actions will only be taken if necessary.”
IMPD Deputy Chief Tanya Terry joined Bailey on Thursday to break down how curfew enforcement will work.
• Juveniles under the age of 15 are supposed to be home between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., seven days a week
• Teens between the ages of 15 and 17 face the same curfew on weeknights but can stay out until 1 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
• Exceptions can be applied for work, school, religious events, the exercise of the right to assemble, or juveniles who are accompanied by a guardian
According to Terry, Indy residents can expect to see increased IMPD patrols downtown starting Friday night. The department will now be utilizing more uniformed officers and security cameras in the area.
Terry said IMPD patrol cars will then use PA systems to make announcements to juveniles 30 minutes before, 15 minutes before and directly before curfew takes effect. In the event that juveniles break curfew, officers have a few options.
The first course of action IMPD officers will take is to move the juveniles in violation to a safe place and contact their parents or guardians. Caretakers will be given a “reasonable amount” of time to come collect their children, only resulting in a late-night hassle and no legal issues.
However, if caretakers do not pick up a juvenile in a reasonable time, IMPD said officers will take the child to the Juvenile Detention Center where they will be cited for a “status offense.” Incident reports will also be filed every time curfew is broken, allowing IMPD to track multiple instances.
Finally, if a child’s guardian has not responded by the time they are released from the Juvenile Detention Center, IMPD will contact Child Services and work out a plan to maintain the child’s safety.
While taking questions from the media after the announcement, Bailey said that children need more accountability in their lives. Specifically, the Chief called on parents of Indy’s youth to step up and take responsibility for their children’s actions.
“If parents refuse to fulfill their responsibility, then the IMPD will do what is necessary to keep our children safe and alive,” Bailey said.
The police chief added that Mayor Joe Hogsett and Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears were both supportive of IMPD’s plan.
Furthermore, Bailey said that Prosecutor Mears’ office is actively examining whether the parents of the children involved in last weekend’s shooting downtown should be criminally charged.
Bailey also described further chaos caused by juveniles downtown last weekend that was unrelated to the shooting. According to IMPD, unhoused residents and business patrons in the area reported being harrassed by youths and several people said they were jumped.
In response to this, Bailey said IMPD has now entered into a trespassing agreement with 315 businesses in the downtown area. This allows officers to remove any juveniles found in the area of these businesses and charge them with trespassing.
Finally, Bailey said that IMPD is calling on the greater Indy community to step up and combat youth violence. He cited local youth groups and public safety associations partnering with the department as a good example of this.
FOX59/CBS4 was the first to break the news this week that Indy leaders and IMPD were considering enforcing the state’s juvenile curfew laws. For more on what Mayor Hogsett said in response to this, click here.
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