INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced during an April 4 press conference that it will be enforcing the Indiana curfew law for people under 18 years old beginning Friday evening.
IMPD made the announcement after a mass shooting that injured seven juveniles between the ages of 12 and 16 at a busy downtown Indianapolis intersection just before midnight March 30.
"The behavior we saw last weekend will not continue," IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said.
Bailey also announced during the press conference that charges could come for the parents of teens who are arrested.
"A curfew will not solve all of our problems, but it is another tool to use to deal with very specific issues wherever they occur," Bailey said.
“Our goal with adding curfew enforcement to our violence reduction plan is to send a clear message: if parents refuse to fulfil their responsibility, then the IMPD will do what is necessary to keep our children safe and alive,” Bailey said. “As adults, it's our duty to make decisions that are in their best interest. As law enforcement, we must continually review and adjust our plans to deal with new or ongoing issues, and that's exactly what we're doing.”
Bailey emphasized the goal was not to "round up kids," but rather to try to stop trouble before it starts.
Deputy Chief Tanya Terry said announcements will be made prior to the start of curfew to any groups of juveniles spotted by IMPD. The announcements will occur 30 minutes and 15 minutes prior to the curfew's start.
"Analysts in the real time crime center will monitor city cameras and will use other technology to identity individuals engaging in disorderly and criminal behavior," Terry said.
IMPD will take appropriate action if necessary toward anyone in violation of the curfew, which may include taking the child to a safe and secure location. Parents and/or guardians will be given a "reasonable" amount of time to pick up their child before they are transported to a juvenile detention center for a status offense. IMPD says this would be a non-criminal offense.
"There is potential for criminal charges who knowingly allow their kids to be somewhere they are not supposed to be and something terrible happens, but each incident has its own set of circumstances. There is no black and white answer to that. There is a lot of gray," Bailey said.
Here are the guidelines under Indiana law:
- Children 15-17 years old may not be in a public place:
- between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday
- after 11 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday
- before 5 a.m. on Monday-Friday
- Children younger than 15 may not be in a public place after 11 p.m. or before 5 a.m. on any day
Exceptions to this curfew include:
- A juvenile who is accompanied by a parent, guardian or custodian or adult
- A juvenile who is accompanied by an adult specified by a parent, guardian or custodian
- A juvenile participating in, going to, or returning from work, a school sanctioned activity, a religious event, an emergency involving the protection of a person or property from an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or substantial damage, or an activity involving the exercise of the juveniles engaging in freedom of speech or the right of assembly
- A juvenile participating in an activity conducted by a nonprofit or governmental entity that provides recreation, education, training or other care under the supervision of an adult
- A juvenile participating in an activity with the prior written direction of the juvenile’s parent, guardian or custodian
- A juvenile traveling from outside Indiana to another location outside Indiana.
Terry said residents can expect an increased police presence, including uniformed and non-uniformed officers.
Bailey emphasized that the majority of kids and teens downtown are "good kids," but mentioned that behavior by others was unacceptable.