Tampa City Council weighs city-wide curfew for kids under 16

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa City Council members took a step Thursday toward passing a city-wide curfew that would affect anyone under the age of 16.

The council moved forward with a proposal that, if passed, would prevent teenagers under 16 years old from being out past 11 p.m. on weeknights or midnight on weekends and holidays.

Councilman Alan Clendenin said it's hard to imagine why anyone would be against this measure.

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"This is 15 years old and below," Clendenin said. "Somebody needs to come before this council and tell me why they think that it's okay for 10, 11, 12, 13, 14-year-olds to be on the streets of the City of Tampa at three or four o'clock in the morning without adult supervision. I mean, I don't understand that."

Council members Lynn Hurtak and Bill Carlson voted against the proposal.

Carlson asked city staff to bring back data from other cities showing curfews are effective at curbing teenage violence.

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"Why would we put a burden on police officers and potentially commit civil rights violations if we don't even know if it's worked in any other cities?" Carlson said.

Hurtak, meanwhile, has concerns a curfew may give some officers reason to stop people without cause to do so. Police, however, said that's not the intent.

"It's not about kids being out late at night. It's about the fact that they can stop anyone who seems possibly that they could be underage," Hurtak said. "Mainly, my concerns are what happens when we actually do stop a child? And that has not been answered."

"We have to remember that this is about threats to young people not only committing crimes but also being the victims of crime," Maj. Eric DeFelice responded.

A second public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for January 25.