DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit city officials are considering moving up the curfew for minors during the city's annual fireworks show, shifting it from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. — a proposal that has drawn mixed reactions from families and residents.
The proposed curfew would require anyone under 18 to be supervised by an adult from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following day during the June 22 fireworks event, which draws thousands of people each year.
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below:
The discussion comes amid a series of teen takeovers — large gatherings of teenagers that have turned violent — across the city.
The most recent incident occurred on Memorial Day, when a 16-year-old was shot after a fight broke out.
Watch our report about the Memorial Day incident below:
Some Detroit residents say the stricter curfew makes sense.
"I like the idea because sometimes, it can get crazy, and 10 p.m. is kind of late for the kids," Amber Polk said.
Others believe different measures would be more effective.
"I don't necessarily agree with that only because it's not dark outside until 10 p.m. at that time. I think there should be more security restraints," Jordan Bradley said.
Residents also expressed concern about the impact the teen takeovers are having on the city's image.
"I don't want Detroit to have that look on it, like other people seeing it online and on TikTok and seeing it as chaos. I want people to visit our city and think of lovely stuff," Aaron McKinney said.
Previous report: Detroit teen recovering at hospital after being shot during teen takeover event
The violence has also prompted reflection among longtime residents.
"I'm not a fan of these teen takeovers. We were teens too at a time, but we never did anything like that," James Jordan said.
Detroit City Councilmember Denzel McCampbell brought the issue before the city council Tuesday, pointing to the lasting effects of COVID-19 on young people.
"We're dealing with lost years in school because of the pandemic that don't have the social interaction that we all had in school," McCampbell said.
While McCampbell supports the proposed extended curfew for the fireworks show, he says the city must go further to address the root causes.
"We should not be criminalizing or policing children. We should be doing all that we can to support them," McCampbell said. “I understand the need for our young folks to have some supervision in various spaces, but as I think about this decision, I’m thinking about who we are leaving out in this conversation because we have to take into account parents, caregivers are working several jobs, so when we impost a curfew like this, we’re saying those kids are not allowed to participate.”
Previous report: Mayor: More 'enforcement & accountability' after teen takeover shooting
Detroit police say minors who violate the curfew will receive a ticket and be detained. Their parents will also receive a ticket and a $250 fine for a first violation.
Bradley offered a direct message to teens in the city.
"Be smart, enjoy life and don't do anything that would hinder your future," Bradley said.
City council is expected to vote on the extended curfew next week.
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