RALEIGH, N.C. — Raleigh City Council hosted a Monday evening forum at the Five Points Center for Active Adults titled Not Just a Curfew: Bridging Gaps for Teens and the Community, asking teenagers what is driving curfew talk, how a rule would change their lives, and what the city should do instead.
The session follows teen takeovers in July on Glenwood South and Brier Creek Commons. Large gatherings over the Fourth of July weekend turned violent, with nine people hurt in three shootings across the city. Mayor Janet Cowell said those events created concerns by business owners and residents. In September, council considered a minors curfew aimed at protecting juveniles from victimization and criminal activity, then ultimately did not pass the curfew after community objections. Some council members said that month they were no longer pursuing a youth curfew.
More than 100 people attended Monday. Cowell opened by saying council must keep Raleigh safe and also give young people room to thrive. Table talks let teens and adults answer the three prompt questions while council members listened. A youth panel followed. Desmond Jones, chair of the City of Raleigh Youth Ambassadors, said teens want their voices to feel powerful and need less of a sense that they are only being policed, while still recognizing that younger people need authority. Bill King, president and CEO of Downtown Raleigh Alliance, said the July events hit local businesses and the perception of Glenwood South and supports gathering public insight before rushing policy.
Cowell said she is undecided on whether she supports a youth curfew and will reflect on staff recommendations that could still be added to a proposed ordinance. An official vote on striking or advancing the idea is expected later.
Five Points sits roughly two miles north of downtown Raleigh, centered on the intersection of Whitaker Mill Road, Fairview Road, Glenwood Avenue, and Five Points Plaza. Downtown material describes Glenwood South as the city dominant nightlife and dining district extending northwest from downtown, while Brier Creek is a large planned community in far northwest Raleigh near RDU airport, known for Brier Creek Commons shopping center. Those are the same corridors named in the July takeover reports that brought families and teens into the Five Points room this week.
