Raleigh's mayor and chief of police are both in support of a new curfew for teenagers after a weekend of violence and disorder during Fourth of July celebrations in the Glenwood South and Brier Creek areas.
The hours of the proposed curfew would be from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Around 8,000 people were estimated to be in the crowd during mass violence on Glenwood South, most of them teenagers and young adults. Mayor Janet Cowell said that kind of violence can't be tolerated.
"I have heard from a lot of residents who are just angry," Cowell said. "And, I mean, I get it, right? And to see the pictures of officers being assaulted -- and then by children sometimes. It’s heartbreaking and horrifying, and I understand the desire for accountability."
During a Raleigh City Council meeting, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce presented several options aimed at preventing similar incidents. Boyce and Cowell are both backing the curfew for people under 18. Bag restrictions and more youth programming are also considerations.
Boyce pointed to the number of guns recovered Saturday night as one reason he'd like to see backpack restrictions for people in certain areas, including Glenwood South. He also called for more youth-focused programming to give young people safer options and keep them from getting into trouble.
The curfew proposal appeared to draw broad support from council members, especially after Boyce described what he saw firsthand Saturday night.
Several shootings and fights were reported in and around Glenwood South. Police also made arrests connected to a large gathering in Brier Creek.
Boyce said he personally chased and helped arrest an armed person during the chaos.
"The actions of what we saw Saturday was something I have never seen in my 26 years with the Raleigh Police Department," Boyce said. He also commended officers for getting the scene under control.
Should city leaders approve the curfew, WRAL has the following the questions for them.
- How would this curfew be enforced?
- What would be the punishment for breaking the curfew?
Cowell said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon that she expects Raleigh City Council to be able to vote on the curfew at the meeting on Aug. 18.
Raleigh police initially believed more than 5,000 young people were at Glenwood South Saturday night. He now believes that the number was closer to 8,000.
A curfew would not take effect immediately. Cowell said Tuesday that a formal curfew could take as long as a month to implement, but she added that she may have the authority to enact an emergency measure in the meantime. Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Greenville already have curfews in place. For Raleigh's next step toward a curfew, a draft ordinance will have to be prepared.
Boyce said his department prepared for large crowds ahead of the weekend, knowing Saturday night would likely draw people to Raleigh’s entertainment districts. But he said what unfolded was unlike anything he had encountered in his decades-long career.
"At that time, I was knee-deep in the middle of it. As the chief of police, I had to see this for myself," Boyce said. "I responded to 500 Glenwood and within minutes, I observed multiple juveniles in front of the chief of police fighting."
Boyce described chasing one person and taking him into custody before realizing the person had a gun.
"He looked up at me and said, 'Officer, don't shoot me,'" Boyce said. "It's disturbing, these young adults and the juveniles and their behavior that we saw on Saturday."
Boyce said the department was prepared for crowds, but not for the number of firearms recovered Saturday night. Police confiscated 11 guns.
Videos posted on social media showed fights, officers trying to take people into custody, shouting and disorder.
At one point, Boyce said, two groups began shooting at each other. A woman inside a car was shot. She and another person in the car were taken to the hospital and are recovering.
Police said 29 arrests and four juvenile petitions stemmed from the weekend incidents. Boyce said more charges and arrests are expected.
Cowell said many of the people involved in the disorder were not from Raleigh.
"These are youth from all over the state ... and certainly regional," Cowell said. "When you've got kids coming in from as far as the coast, this goes way beyond Raleigh."
Boyce also pointed to programs the city already has in place to keep young people engaged, including RPD Hoops Night, Raleigh Teen Connect and Something 2 Say.
Business owners along Glenwood South tell WRAL they are in favor of a curfew.
Pierro's Italian Bistro has been open for about 15 months; co-owner Michael Laurenciau says last Saturday's teen takeover wasn't the first one they'd seen.
"It's frustrating because we came in here, and we see it trying to grow up, and we know the city's been trying to find ways to help it grow up," Laurenciau said. "But what happened that particular Saturday, since the 15, 16 months we've been here has happened a couple times, a handful of times."
Laurenciau says they've invested in a higher quality camera system, and he believes Raleigh Police having a visible presence has made a difference.
He's in favor of the possible curfew.
"It's a good safety move because the younger group, 18 and under-- which obviously people coming here are drinking and they shouldn't be out here drinking-- it kind of removes them from the situation of some of that chaos that happens when you mix drinking," Laurenciau said. "19, 20, 21, 22 and up, they do some of these same things. But it's a step and maybe a good step."
