Parents face possible arrest, steep fines in military town's tough new approach to combat youth crime
Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin told Fox News Digital that the city recorded nearly 2,000 incidents of interaction or arrest involving minors over about a 16-month period.
"We looked at the last couple of quarters of the previous year, and then the first two quarters of this year, and it was almost 1,900 incidents of arrest or crimes that had been committed by juveniles. And so… we know we have a problem there, and we want to make sure that we're proactive to deal with it," Colvin said.
With the new ordinance, kids under 16 are prohibited from being in any public space between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., with some exceptions, including those who are accompanied by parents or guardians or another authorized adult escort, running direct-route errands, traveling to and from work, responding to emergencies, attending supervised activities such as sports or school events, and participating in religious services.
Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg, known briefly as Fort Liberty, the largest U.S. Army base by population. As of this week, the city is still in an "educational" period in which those who violate the curfew will be informed of the new rules, but punishments such as citations and detentions may occur as time goes on.
Adults 17 and up, including parents and business owners, who are responsible for youths found to be in violation of the curfew may face a Class 3 misdemeanor charge and a maximum fine of $500.
"Right now, the way that the ordinance is set up… all of our punitive actions will take place against the parents. Whoever the responsible party is – the custodian of that kid – will be issued citations and possibly subject to fines and maybe arrest in certain cases of repeated violations," Colvin said. "And we're going to let them know that there are judicial consequences to inaction."
If minors are continuing to be a problem because of parental neglect, then there are consequences.
Colvin brought up one incident in particular that happened earlier this year, when a 12-year-old girl named Adrianna Bethea was shot at a carnival in March, according to the Fayetteville Police Department and the mayor's office.
The young cheerleader was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition and is fighting to walk again after she was shot in the back and the chest, according to CBS 17. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting so far.
"A group of kids got into an altercation, and a gun was pulled, and a young lady was shot, and she's paralyzed," Colvin said. "That spoke volumes to me. I knew her family, and it really made me angry. I'm a father of three daughters, and I've taken my kids to carnivals. I just think that our citizens deserve firm action."
The mayor's office introduced five new safety recommendations in April following the shooting, including the youth curfew, and the Fayetteville City Council – on which Colvin served four years before becoming mayor – adopted all of them.
Two city council members, Deno Hondros and Mario Benavente, voted against the curfew. They did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Other cities have implemented similar youth curfews, including Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city. Colvin said Fayetteville's curfew model is based on Charlotte's.
In addition to the curfew, Fayetteville expanded youth recreational activities "and partnerships with organizations who were already doing mentorship-type activities," the mayor said. He brought up a new youth "midnight" basketball program, which does not actually take place until midnight but was extended to later hours. Certain youth centers will also be expanding the activities they offer, according to Colvin.
A new chief will join the Fayetteville Police Department next week, and Colvin expects the department head to help implement the new ordinance.
"I'm certain that they will make sure that they are presenting a professional response to it. They're training their officers as to the terms and conditions of what their role will be. They're setting up the partnerships that are necessary because the city can't do this alone. We'll need social service, we'll need juvenile justice, and we need the other governmental units that have a role in this space. This is an ecosystem. That we all have to work in to create a safer, better environment for our young people."
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