Will a teen curfew curb crime? Tampa leaders, residents weigh in on proposed ordinance
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa City Council is considering a proposed ordinance for a city-wide curfew for children under 16 years old.
The ordinance was proposed after a deadly shooting on 7th Avenue in Ybor City on October 29 that claimed the lives of a 14-year-old and 20-year-old.
City leaders say they’ve gotten mixed feedback on the proposed curfew.
The Tampa police chief, deputy chief, mental health leaders and social leaders held a panel discussion Tuesday night to explain the proposal and hear feedback from the community.
"We see what society wants, and they want a community that’s healthy. They don’t want a school to prison pipeline," Tampa Police Department Deputy Chief Calvin Johnson said.
Tampa city council is considering a curfew for teens.
Police Chief Lee Bercaw says the curfew would apply for children in Tampa under 16 years old. It would be in place from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Bercaw says there are a number of circumstances where the curfew would not apply, mainly in situations where a child is on the property of their home, with a parent, guardian or adult with authorized custody, in a situation directly related to a job, extracurricular, school or religious activity and in an emergency situation.
City Councilman Guido Maniscalco says city council has received mixed feedback from the community since the ordinance was first proposed.
"The main question is, is a curfew going to solve things and prove things, make things better or should we have a broader discussion?" Maniscalco asked. "More community discussions like this, reaching out to our youth, investing more in after school programs, having conversations, violence is not the answer."
City leaders heard mixed feedback at Tuesday night’s panel discussion.
"Once you start telling the kid, you’re a delinquent, guess what? That’s what they grow up to be," one community member said.
Some people don’t believe a curfew will have a positive impact on children.
Ava Boonstoppel, whose twin brother, Harrison Boonstoppel, 20, was one of the two victims killed in the shooting in Ybor City, attended the meeting.
Ava Boonstoppel, whose twin brother was killed in a shooting in Ybor City, spoke at a meeting in which Tampa leaders discussed a proposed curfew for teens.
She and her family have become advocates for improving the safety and well-being of children and teens.
"We are in favor of a curfew, if it helps what we’re going through," Boonstoppel said. "If it would help prevent that."
Boonstoppel says they don’t believe a curfew would put a stop to the violence on its own though.
She and many others who spoke Tuesday night called on families, schools and city leaders to continue investing in community programs and resources to help children and their families, instead of solely investing in more regulations.
READ: 'We need justice': Tampa father mourns loss of second child to gun violence after Ybor City shooting
"In East Tampa, shootings happen during the daytime," one community member said. "The over excessive suspensions in school. Are those kids out of school? Can they be in school? Is there somewhere to house them?"
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw echoed many of these ideas.
Bercaw says studies of similar curfews in other cities have shown mixed data, but he says they have proven to be a deterrent to crime in several major cities.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw speaks at council meeting about proposed teen curfew.
"You’re right, it’s not the police," Bercaw said. "The police aren’t going to solve the problem. The community coming together, and education in the schools. The parents being more involved and having the tools to help out."
The council will discuss the proposal at its meeting on January 25.
READ: Ybor City shooting: Teen suspect appears to apologize for killing 20-year-old in police interview
If the ordinance is passed, Bercaw says officers will go through training and an educational campaign will be launched in the schools.
Discussions about further measures and efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of children and reduce violence are ongoing.
Just hours after the meeting, shots rang out in Ybor City.
Police say they have one person in custody and those involved were young adults and not teenagers.