The Indianapolis City-County Council’s Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee voted 10-0 Tuesday evening to advance a proposal that would tighten the city’s youth curfew laws following a string of violent incidents involving teenagers, including a mass shooting that occurred on July 5.

The ordinance, authored by Councilor Leroy Robinson, would move up the existing curfew for minors. Under the proposal:

  • Youth aged 15 to 17 would be subject to a 9:00 p.m. curfew Sunday through Thursday, and 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

  • Children aged 14 and under would have a 9:00 p.m. curfew every night.

  • The curfew would remain in place until 5:00 a.m. each day.

The ordinance now heads to the full council, where a final vote could take place as early as August 5.

Supporters of the measure say it is designed to reduce the number of young people in unsafe situations during late evening hours and to help prevent future violence. Councilor Robinson, who chairs the committee, said the goal is to protect youth and support public safety, not to penalize families.

“This is about protecting our children and giving law enforcement and families additional tools to keep them safe,” Robinson said during the meeting. He emphasized the need for coordinated community and parental involvement.

The proposal drew mixed reactions during public comment. Some praised the effort as a proactive step toward curbing youth violence, while others raised concerns about how the curfew would be enforced and whether it would disproportionately affect certain communities.

Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), testified in opposition to the ordinance. While acknowledging the intent behind the proposal, Snyder said the curfew change would not be effective without sufficient enforcement resources and follow-through.

“We cannot enforce our way out of this,” Snyder told the committee. “There must be consequences and accountability, but also support services for youth and families. Without those pieces, this measure alone won’t be enough.”

Council members acknowledged those concerns but ultimately voted to move the ordinance forward, stressing that the curfew is just one component of a broader public safety response.

The proposal comes after a July 5 incident in which two teenagers were killed and several others injured in a late-night shooting on the city’s near west side. That shooting, along with other recent youth-involved incidents, has renewed calls for stronger safeguards for minors in public areas during late-night hours.

The new curfew provisions would supplement existing state law and give local law enforcement clearer guidelines to intervene when unsupervised minors are out past designated hours.

If approved by the full council, the ordinance would take effect later this summer. The Hogsett administration has indicated support for the measure.