City Council approves new 9 p.m. Bricktown curfew time for minors

Last Updated on August 6, 2023, 2:50 AM | Published: February 28, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY — The City Council for Oklahoma City discussed and approved the proposed new 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew time for unaccompanied juveniles in Bricktown.

Much of the rest of the existing ordinance was not modified.

Exceptions

In the packet for the proposal, City staff listed the following exceptions for juveniles in Bricktown after 9 p.m.:

• On errand for parent/adult
• In a vehicle
• Engaged in employment activity, including travel to/from work
• Involved in an emergency
• Attending, going to/from home, a school, religious event, or activity supervised by adults, an event sponsored by The City of Oklahoma City, a civic organization, or similar entity that takes responsibility the juveniles
• Exercising First Amendment rights, such as the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and the right of assembly or other rights protected by the US or the Oklahoma Constitution;
• Attending, going to/from, spectator event at a controlled public facility such as a ballpark, arena or theater

Enforcement

• Police officer will ask offender’s age and reasonf or being in Bricktown before taking any action.
• Officer will not issue a citation unless the juvenile does not meet one of the curfew exceptions and refuses to leave Bricktown

Penalties

• Violation of the curfew is a Class “A” offense
• Requires mandatory Oklahoma City Municipal Juvenile Court appearance
• Youth that are referred to Oklahoma City Municipal Juvenile Court are given the option for probation or can pay a fine.

Offenses

• Juvenile Offense Commitment – Juvenile remains in any public place or on establishment premises within the Bricktown Entertainment area during curfew hours
• Parental and/or responsible Adult Juvenile Offense Commitment
  • Parent and/or responsible Adult knowingly permits or allowsnthe juvenile to remain in the Bricktown Entertainment Area during curfew hours; and
  • Parent and/or responsible Adult has knowingly allowed the juvenile to commit a curfew offense twice within any consecutive six-month period.
• Owner, Operator or Employee Juvenile Offense Commitment — Owner, Operator or Employee knowingly permits or allows the juvenile to remain upon the Bricktown Entertainment Area establishment premises during curfew hours.

(Ord. No. 23100, § 1, 8‐29‐06)

Background

The previous ordinance established curfew hours for juveniles not accompanied by a “parent, legal guardian or responsible adult” in the Bricktown Entertainment Area. The existing hours were 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day, seven days per week.

Bricktown merchants and the Bricktown Association pushed for the ordinance change due to an increase in criminal incidents involving juveniles earlier than the 11 p.m. curfew.

Several Bricktown merchants came and spoke in the hearing Tuesday in favor of the proposed ordinance modification.

Chad Hunnington, owner of the Bricktown Water Taxi, and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Bricktown Association, spoke about some of the reasons the association is pushing for the change.

“We’re very kid friendly. We’re very family family friendly. We welcome that business,” said Hunnington of his own business. “I think that it’s notable that … many of the businesses who most strongly support this curfew are businesses that cater to kids.”

Hunnington gave the example of Brickopolis, an archade-type of business, “the most kid-focused business in the district.”

He said that business cuts off minors at 8 p.m. “So there’s really becomes nothing for these kids to do at this point and it becomes a distraction for OCPD who has other responsibilities in the district.”

He said that when officers are having to attend to large groups of juveniles they cannot tend to adults who are there for the “nightlife.”

Councilmember comments

Ward 6 Councilor JoBeth Hamon expressed concern about establishing new situations where police and youth would be pushed into encounters with each other.

Hamon said that she appreciated the position of the Bricktown merchants. “I don’t want to discount that,” Hamon said. “I just think there are other ways to engage youth and produce safety that aren’t providing more opportunities to stop and detain people and expanding those government powers.”

Bricktown is in Ward 7, represented by Councilor Nikki Nice. Nice said that she was in the meeting with the merchants “so I will be supporting what the business owners have asked for.”

Nice also expressed concern about what could be an increase of encounters between youth and police.

“I will encourage, also ask and hope, that our officers in dealing with these young folks in Bricktown will have compassion in working with this new curfew change helping to first educate and being able to help these young people realize what’s happening,” said Nice.

Nice relayed conversations she has had recently with students at Moon Middle School. Nice said that she emphasized to them that they can still be in Bricktown by being with an adult.

Nice said that the emphasis for her was on the safety of the kids. “This is for us to ensure that they are protected and get home and are safe.”

The measure passed 7-2 with an emergency provision which means it goes into effect immediately. Councilors JoBeth Hamon (Ward 6) and James Cooper (Ward 2) voted against the item.

---