State News

Fayetteville mayor wants curfew for youth

Fayetteville's mayor says he believes a citywide curfew for children could help curb violence in the city.

Posted Updated
Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Fayetteville's mayor says he believes a citywide curfew for children could help curb violence in the city.

Mayor Nat Robertson said Friday that he also wants an ordinance to ban loitering around schools and that he has asked city staff to look at the legal and practical issues of implementing such policies.

The City Council could consider the idea next month.

"We've got kids out there that are committing violent crimes. We've just got to put a stop to it," Robertson said. "Parents have got to start parenting. The city's got to start taking responsibility in doing what we can with policy to make sure we get this back under control."

Cumberland County has had such a curfew since 1997, and Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock enacted a curfew when he was deputy police chief in Charlotte.

He plans to work closely with the mayor and City Council on the matter.

Robertson's proposed curfew would prohibit children under the age of 16 from being on the street without adult supervision between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Residents like John Dekker, 73, support the move.

He coordinates community watch efforts in Fayetteville's Southgate area, where Ravon Jordan, 19, died last month after more than 70 bullets were fired during a shootout at a party.

Dekker says he's been trying for years to get a curfew in the city.

"It's only going to get worse unless something's done, and I think a curfew is a good start," he said. "It won't eliminate all (the violence), but it would certainly reduce what's going on in the city."

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by WRAL.com and the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.