Rome DDA board backs 10 p.m. curfew for teens
Members of the Rome Downtown Development Authority voiced support for a 10 p.m. teen curfew at their board meeting Thursday morning.
Currently, the curfew for unchaperoned minors under 17 is 11 p.m., but after a brawl took place on the Town Green over a month ago, Rome city commissioners considered bumping the curfew down to 10 p.m.
But the amendment was tabled Monday night after a long discussion in caucus that had commissioners split over whether they should do an earlier curfew and who exactly gets punished.
“We’re looking at several different options right now,” Commissioner Randy Quick said. “The 10 p.m. curfew is a recommendation from the Rome Police Department. We also have several people who believe that time should be 9 p.m.”
Quick is the City Commission representative to the DDA.
Authority members agreed that 9 p.m. would be too early, as many teenagers are getting off work then or often still at football games. Most football games finish well past 10:30 p.m., Courtyard Rome Riverwalk Manager Tayesha Lytle pointed out.
“A 9 p.m. curfew on game night? They won’t be with their parents,” Lytle said.
DDA Director Aundi Lesley said many of the downtown merchants are supportive of the 9 p.m. curfew since many of the incidents causing concern are occurring well before the 11 p.m. curfew.
A group made up of the public safety committee as well as church leaders and residents met on Sept. 2 to discuss the topic as well as forming a task force to address the issue. Participants agreed the task force, which hasn’t yet been formed, would work to include youths in determining a solution.
Rome police officers have said they wouldn’t cite teens who are in their cars and on their way home. They would mostly be looking for those who are loitering around Broad Street, said Public Information Officer Doug Walker.
Quick said he thinks the 10 p.m. curfew would have more immediate results because they’ll have more warning when curfew time is coming up. He recalled a story from one of the Rome police officers who notified a group of kids that curfew is approaching and they quickly called an adult to pick them up.
Currently, the parents or guardians get the fine when a teen breaks curfew, but Quick said they’re often not the ones responsible.
Since the DDA board didn’t have a quorum, they couldn’t vote to make a formal recommendation to the City Commission. Lesley said she’ll reach out to the absent members for any feedback they may have.