Raleigh authorities on Tuesday unveiled the measures they are considering to address youth violence, after two shootings over the weekend in Glenwood South and Brier Creek left nine people injured.
Among the proposals is a possible curfew for minors, in addition to other prevention and law enforcement strategies.
Rico BoyceRaleigh Police Chief said officers recovered 11 firearms and that the presence of armed youths was one of the main challenges during the response.
“We were prepared for the size of the crowd. What we didn’t expect was the number of Firearms "that we recovered from the people on Saturday night," Boyce said.
In addition to the recovered firearms, 29 arrests were made, 6 victims were identified, and 4 cases involving minors are pending. The investigations are ongoing.
The facts
On Saturday July 4thAt the end of the fireworks display at Brier Creek, several minors became involved in fights.
According to investigations by the Raleigh Police Department, the incident was classified as a “teen takeover,” a term that usually refers to massive gatherings of teenagers organized or promoted through social media.
“Our officers intervened quickly and managed to control many of the situations. However, while the fights were taking place, two groups began shooting at each other, and an innocent woman, who was in her car and had nothing to do with the events, was shot,” he added.
While responding to the shooting, officers found an 18-year-old who He was carrying a firearm.
Shortly after, officers responded to another incident in Glenwood South, where four shootings were reported that same night.
Most of these incidents involved young people, and in some cases minors, carrying firearms. Boyce said the presence of armed teenagers was a constant throughout the incidents and posed one of the main challenges for police.
“One of the common denominators of what happened in Raleigh, and that we are also seeing in other parts of the country, is that young people have access to firearms. That was evident on Saturday,” Boyce said.
According to Raleigh Police, about 3,000 young people participated in the Brier Creek rally and about 5,000 gathered in Glenwood South.
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The proposed measures
Among the measures proposed by the authorities are: involving young people in educational activities and programs, and imposing a curfew for young people aged 17 and under.
Involving young people
Stephen Bentley, director of Raleigh Parks, said there is no single way to engage teenagers.
“They are one of the most difficult groups to engage in my profession at a certain age. That's why our approach is interdisciplinary,” Bentley said.
Taisha Mosley, director of the Department of Community Engagement, echoed Bentley's statements and affirmed that the city seeks to engage teenagers through a holistic approach.
He noted that Raleigh is considering expanding the Youth Council and strengthening employment and job readiness programs for young people.
Curfew for young people aged 17 and under
Boyce asked the city to evaluate implementing a curfew for minors in Raleigh in response to the youth violence.
“We need to start analyzing what a curfew in the state capital would look like,” Boyce said.
Boyce added that Raleigh is looking to other cities that have already implemented curfews for minors, such as Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Greenville. He also suggested considering restrictions on backpack use in areas and times where the curfew is in effect.
“We have encountered multiple groups of minors carrying backpacks. When we have the legal right to interact with them and access those backpacks, we typically find one or more firearms,” he added.
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Whats Next?
Janet CowellThe mayor of Raleigh said the Police Department has the support of the City Council to implement a curfew.
“We have instructed the city attorney to draft language for a curfew, likely citywide and targeting youths 17 and younger,” Cowell said at a press conference.
“That will be presented again to the City Council on August 18,” he said.
While the potential ordinance is being developed, Cowell indicated that he has the authority to implement emergency measures in the face of a credible threat.
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