The Indianapolis City‑County Council has voted to add the youth curfew proposal—championed by Public Safety Committee Chair Leroy Robinson—to its agenda, marking the next step in efforts to tighten curfew hours following the tragic July 5 downtown shooting.
A public hearing is now scheduled for July 16 before the council’s Public Safety Committee, with a final vote expected in August.
Robinson’s ordinance would give Indianapolis the power to go beyond what state law currently allows—and bring kids off the streets even earlier. Under Indiana law, teens ages 15–17 can be out until 1 a.m. on weekends and 11 p.m. on school nights, with both curfews ending at 5 a.m.
Robinson’s plan tightens that window consi1derably. His proposal would bar teens ages 15–17 from being in public after 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and after 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday—a full two hours earlier than state law permits. The curfew would still end at 5 a.m. daily.
In short, the city wants to beat the state to bedtime.
Supporters say this is a necessary step to reduce large, unsupervised teen crowds that have increasingly turned violent—especially downtown. The measure is part of a broader public safety effort by city leaders including Mayor Joe Hogsett and IMPD Chief Chris Bailey.
Critics, meanwhile, are already raising red flags about enforcement—especially when it comes to fairness, racial equity, and whether the city has the infrastructure to manage the new rules.
