CHARLESTON — One teenager was cited for violating the city’s new curfew during the first weekend of enforcement, according to the Charleston Police Department.
But business owners and city officials said Charleston’s night life district remained as lively as ever.
“What we saw this weekend is similar to what we always see — a strong police presence,” said Keith Benjamin, owner of popular downtown bars Uptown Social, Bodega and Share House.
Police Chief Chito Walker was among the officers patrolling King Street on June 27, the first night of enforcement for the curfew, which prohibits anyone under 17, with some exceptions, after 9 p.m. from a sprawling area downtown.
“(Walker) was encouraged by the overall atmosphere,” police spokesperson Sgt. Chris Stinson said in a June 30 statement. The chief thanked “the community, especially parents and guardians, for overwhelmingly adhering to the new ordinance.”
Officers did charge one teenager for violating the curfew, as well as possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Around 1:30 a.m. June 29, officers found the 16-year-old inside a parked vehicle in a garage on Mary Street smoking marijuana, police said. The incident report was not immediately available.
The minor, who does not live in Charleston, was cited for both charges and released to a guardian, police said.
“This is exactly the type of situation the curfew is intended to address,” Stinson wrote. “Young people engaging in high-risk behavior during late-night hours in the Central Business District.”
It remains unclear what penalty the youth could face because charges for violating the curfew will be handled in Family Court, which is closed to the public. An adult who allows their child to violate the rule could face up to 30 days in jail or a fine up to $500.
Business owners along King Street are largely supportive of the new restriction.
There’s been a pattern of disturbances caused by large groups of unruly teens loitering outside businesses, Benjamin said.
“It’s one less thing for us to worry about,” he added. “At an hour where there is a lot going on inside licensed establishments.”
Craig Nelson, owner of Proof, said as the father of a teen, he’s sympathetic, but the groups of kids that sometimes gathered outside the cocktail bar can get “pretty rowdy,” he said.
“None of us are targeting 16-year-olds,” Nelson said. “I didn’t notice a huge difference this weekend, but there were less kids running around.”
Others are skeptical whether the curfew will have the intended effect of deterring crime. The city’s Human Affairs and Racial Conciliation Commission opposed the curfew, as do several nonprofit leaders who work with the department to curb violence among young people.
The curfew covers the busiest parts of the city’s central business district, including King Street between Carolina and Broad streets, Market Street east of King, and East Bay Street from Market to Broad.
It lasts every night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the summer months of June, July, and August and will be in effect Thursday through Sunday the rest of the year.
There are carve-outs in the ordinance for teens who work in the targeted area, and those out with their parents or attending a school, religious or civic event.
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