08/11/2026
We fully support the request from Chief Patterson to amend the curfew ordinance in Charlotte. We know that discussions between the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Charlotte City Council will result in a fair and balanced resolution that will make our community safer.
There must be actions taken to advocate for tools that law enforcement can use to curb the teen takeovers, some of which have already lead to violence in Uptown.
It is not the responsibility of police officers to raise children, monitor their every move, or ensure they are where they are supposed to be. That responsibility belongs first and foremost to parents and guardians. The job of law enforcement is to protect public safety and enforce the laws and ordinances that are in place.
When large groups of juveniles are intentionally creating dangerous situations, disrupting businesses, threatening residents and visitors, and disregarding the safety of others, law enforcement has every right, and responsibility, to take a firm, zero-tolerance approach.
Residents and visitors to Uptown Charlotte, or anywhere else in our community, should not have to worry about being shot, caught in a stampede, assaulted, or surrounded by hundreds of young people who have little regard for the safety and well-being of others. No one should be expected to simply accept that as the price of being in a public place.
And let’s be clear: accountability starts at home. If more parents and guardians were taking responsibility for their children’s behavior, setting boundaries, enforcing consequences, and knowing where their children are, we would not be having conversations about stricter curfews and holding parents accountable.
North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police
“We are not creating a prison pipeline for youth of color,” she said. “We are not punishing good kids for doing the right things.”
