Police reported no violations last weekend and plan

Source: Ryan Hedrick / WIBC Radio

INDIANAPOLIS –Indy Metro Police are still enforcing the curfew for kids and teenagers after the recent downtown shooting that injured seven kids. Police reported no violations last weekend and plan to continue enforcing it with community partners until further notice.

“As we see people engaged in disorderly conduct and nuisance behavior, we will take action,” says IMPD Lt. Shane Foley. “Our first goal is to contact their parents and have them come pick them up. [The curfew] is not designed to take juveniles to juvenile detention. If we can get parents to come pick them up, that would be our primary objective.”

Indiana’s curfew laws mandate that juveniles under 15 must be home between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily. Teens aged 15 to 17 have the same curfew on weekdays but can stay out until 1 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

However, exceptions are permitted for work, school, religious events, assembly rights, or being accompanied by a guardian.

Foley clarifies that police won’t randomly approach people and judge them solely because they appear young and might be out past curfew.

“We are looking for individuals who are likely violating a law in some way,” Foley says. Those are decisions that officers will have to make as they are out on the streets and engaging with people using their experience. Often, we can speak with someone and ask them, ‘How old are you?’ and they’re just going to tell us.”

On the night of the downtown shooting, IMPD had 25 officers in the area to try and prevent such incidents. Foley explains that the challenge for police in enforcing a downtown curfew lies in deciding which resources to use and how to allocate them effectively.

“There are different tools that we can use,” added Foley. We can use cameras in different ways, drones, officers, and undercover officers. That night, what was taking place was a bit of a surprise.”

Foley says that IMPD is grateful for the cooperation of community leaders, parents, and children in ensuring that the curfew enforcement last weekend went smoothly.

IMPD Continues Curfew Enforcement After Downtown Shooting was originally published on wibc.com