The City Council plans to vote on Tuesday night to place youth under 17 under curfew requirements.
Currently, the curfew applies to those under 16.
Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod recently called for the curfew change, while admonishing parents and guardians to not allow their children to rove the city streets at late hours.
The ordinance as rewritten says:
(a) It is unlawful for any minor under seventeen (17) years of age to loiter, wander,
stroll or play in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other
public grounds, public places, public buildings, place of amusement, eating places, vacant lots
or any place unsupervised by an adult having the lawful authority to be at such places, between
the hours of 10:00 p.m. on any day and 6:00 a.m. of the following day; provided, however, that
on Fridays and Saturdays the effective hours are between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the
following day; and provided, that the provisions of this section shall not apply in the following
instances:
(1) When a minor is accompanied by his or her parent, guardian or other adult
person having the lawful care and custody of the minor;
(2) When the minor is upon an emergency errand directed by his or her parent
or guardian or other adult person having the lawful care and custody of
such minor;
(3) When the minor is returning directly home from a school activity,
entertainment, recreational activity or dance;
(4) When the minor is returning directly home from lawful employment that
makes it necessary to be in the above-referenced places during the
proscribed period of time;
(5) When the minor is attending or traveling directly to or from an activity
involving the exercise of first amendment rights of free speech, freedom
of assembly or free exercise of religion;
(6) When the minor is in a motor vehicle with parental consent for normal
travel, with interstate travel through the City of Chattanooga, excepted in
all cases from the curfew.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person having the legal care and custody of any person
under seventeen (17) years of age to allow or permit such minor to be in or upon the public
streets or any other place listed in Section 25-2(a) within the time therein prohibited unless
except in circumstances set out in sections (1) through (6) of said Section 25-2(a).
SECTION 2. BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, That this Ordinance shall take effect two
(2) weeks from and after its passage.