Charlotte youth curfew to take effect in November as pilot program begins

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - In four days, teens in Charlotte will officially be subject to a new curfew.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson pushed for the ‘youth protection ordinance’ in an attempt to get a tighter grip on youth crime.

The pilot program requires anyone under the age of 18 in the city to be off the streets from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m., with exceptions for work, school events, or being out with adult supervision.

Chief Patterson says the decision is a shot at protecting young people, and to combat a rising number of teen takeovers.

“I am very concerned that if we don’t get a handle on these events and what is going on, the consequences may become fatal,” Patterson said.

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Charlotte City Council members agreed and the curfew pilot program kicks off next month.

Council Member Dante Anderson has seen curfews hit Camp North End in her district in an attempt to reduce the number of issues involving teenagers.

“They’ve seen some improvements and they had to make that step to establish a curfew because they were seeing an increase of these gatherings and unaccompanied minors on their property late at night and after hours,” Anderson said.

The city hopes to see that same progress citywide and will be collecting data along the way to assist with that.

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“We’re going to collect the data on how many teens the officers are having to warn that they need to go home, disassemble, etc. We’re going to be collecting data on where these things are occurring,” Anderson said.

With the new curfew days away, youth advocate and high school junior Harmoni Moorer says she’s not against a curfew, but that curfew should be a gateway to safety, legal education, family stabilization, trauma-informed support, and positive youth development.

“When it comes to the time of it being restricted for certain hours, I think that’s a good thing because even for adults not everyone should all be out late nights or the crack of dawn, unless you’re getting off work,” Moorer said.

In her continued pursuit to make the city safer and offer positive outlets for the city’s youth, Moorer is hosting a safe trick-or-treating zone at Revolution Park Saturday for all kids.

The pilot program will run until Aug. 31, 2027.