Is Columbus proposed curfew racist or racially biased? We asked officials to reply
As the Columbus Council considers a proposed youth curfew in the Uptown District, some residents have voiced concerns that the ordinance could disproportionately affect Black people and lead to unequal enforcement.
During the first reading of the proposed ordinance at the June 9 council meeting, several residents argued to the council the proposal is racist or racially biased:
“What you are lining up is a problem of setting up a curfew for a selective area, and it is racist,” said Theresa El-Amin, chairwoman of the Southern Anti-Racism Network. “Because when I looked at the videos, I saw all the Black kids who had gathered in the parking decks, and the police are going way too far.”
A resident who didn’t say her name told the council, “If Columbus PD only stops local Black plus brown kids and lets visitors walk, that destroys trust between CPD and families in south Columbus, midtown, and north Columbus too. Unequal law in one district makes all Columbus parents distrust police.”
Jennifer LeDenney told the council: “I’m so sorry if I get people pissed off, but us of lighter hue need to be mindful of what our neighbors in the Black and brown community has faced in the past decade. There has been so much violence that has happened. We need to be mindful of how we look when the majority happens to be Black children. Perception often drives things more than truth.”
Thursday, the Ledger-Enquirer emailed those quotes to all 10 of the councilors, Mayor Skip Henderson, City Attorney Clifton Fay, Police Chief Stoney Mathis and Uptown Columbus president and CEO Steve Morse. The L-E asked them for their response. Morse is the only one who replied before publication.
“We understand and respect the concerns raised by community members regarding the proposed curfew and appreciate everyone who has participated in this important conversation,” Morse wrote in an email Friday to the L-E. “The Uptown BID’s (Business Improvement District) support for exploring a curfew stems from public safety concerns and the ongoing operational challenges associated with large groups of unsupervised minors gathering in the district during late evening hours. The proposal intends to provide an additional tool to help maintain a safe, welcoming, and family-friendly environment for everyone who lives, works, and visits Uptown.
“Our goal is not to discourage young people from enjoying Uptown, but to encourage safe, supervised, and responsible use of public spaces while supporting our businesses, residents, visitors, and public safety personnel.
“We recognize that no single solution addresses these challenges. We remain committed to working collaboratively with City leaders, law enforcement, parents, educators, youth organizations, and community partners to identify broader solutions that support both public safety and positive opportunities for our youth.
“We appreciate the community’s input and support a fair, transparent process as City Council considers this proposal.”
Uptown Columbus Inc., the nonprofit organization that promotes downtown businesses, proposed the ordinance after more than 400 incidents were reported in the district over the past year, based on numbers provided by the Columbus Police Department.
CPD Assistant Chief Lance Deaton has said a little less than half of those cases involve juveniles. But he noted this number doesn’t include the number of contacts police made with juveniles.
What the proposed Columbus curfew says
The curfew would make it unlawful, except for certain exemptions, for anyone under the age of 18 to be in any public place, street, sidewalk, park, parking garage or other public area from Eighth Street to 14th Street and between Second Avenue and Bay Avenue in Columbus from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. each day.
Exceptions to the ordinance include:
- Accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or other adult having the lawful care and custody of the minor
- Engaged in lawful employment or traveling to or from employment
- Attending or traveling to or from a school-sponsored, civic, religious or other approved organized activity
- Columbus State University student, housed in the Uptown Columbus area
- Attending or traveling directly to or from an activity exercising the First Amendment rights protected under the U.S. Constitution
- Staying at a hotel or lodging facility in the area.
Any parents, legal guardians or other adults having custody or control of any child under the age of 18 will be held responsible if the minor is found to be violating the curfew, according to the proposed ordinance. Adults convicted of violating the ordinance would be punished with a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 90 days or both, in accordance with Sec. 1-8 in the city code.
The council is scheduled to vote on this proposal during its June 16 meeting, starting at 9 a.m..
