Overview
- Directors voted unanimously at a special meeting to set a citywide 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for people under 18 through early September.
- The move followed a weekend shooting near the River Market that injured a 21-year-old, with shell casings recovered and the victim treated at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
- Police leaders told the board they plan to issue warnings before citations, though violations can lead to a court date and parents can be held responsible if a child misses court.
- The ordinance exempts minors with a parent or guardian, those with a work permit, or those leaving a city event, and a separate 9 p.m. rule already covers entertainment districts and nearby parks.
- Some directors backed the concept but pressed for safeguards, data on outcomes, and more teen activities, citing concerns about over-policing of Black youth and the need to measure whether the curfew works.