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Cincinnati Council approves new curfew rules. Some parks will also close earlier

Cincinnati skyline at night as seen from across the Ohio River
Brian Webb
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Unsplash

Cincinnati City Council voted Wednesday to approve a , as well as a Downtown and in Over-the-Rhine, which will start at 9 p.m.

It's the latest effort to address a higher than usual spike in crime over the summer. Officials presented the proposed plan to City Council's Public Safety and Governance Committee on Tuesday morning. You can watch the full presentation and discussion .

Officials say the goal is to keep teens safe, not to criminalize them.

"This is not a decision we've made lightly or rashly," City Manager Sheryl Long said. "It's part of a larger conversation that has been ongoing for years."

One ordinance is a simplified version of the existing curfew law, which was established in 1994. It says that between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., anyone under age 16 should not be in public without supervision from an adult at least 21 years old. The curfew starts at midnight for minors that are 16 or 17 years old. It is rarely enforced.

The only change to the language of the citywide curfew is a uniform start time of 11 p.m. for anyone under age 18.

A separate ordinance establishes a "special extended curfew district" for Downtown and part of Over-the-Rhine, where the curfew begins at 9 p.m. The area begins at Liberty St. and extends south to the river; the western boundary is Central Parkway and Central Avenue, and the eastern boundary is Sycamore St. and Broadway.

A map of downtown and Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati
Provided
A map showing the boundaries of the proposed special extended curfew district for parts of downtown and Over-the-Rhine.

New park hours

is changing the hours of some parks. The move came after City Council approved new curfew rules.

The Parks directive closes seven parks from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Director Jason Barron says the new hours address large gatherings of young people.

“If you’ve got a group of 200 people that gather at Smale Park just to hang out, 198 of them might be acting fine,” he said. “But if two of them decide to get into a fight, or something crazy happens, that can lead to a lack of safety for everybody that’s in the park.”

Barron says the new rules do include some exceptions.

“If it is an activity that is sponsored by the City of Cincinnati, which includes the Park Board, or another organization that is permitted by us to have an activity in these parks, then they’re, of course, allowed to be in the parks.”

The new hours at Smale, Washington, Piatt, and Ziegler parks, Sawyer Point, Yeatman's Cove, International Friendship Park and the Public Landing will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for anyone under the age of 18, without adult supervision. Barron says the new hours will be posted soon.

What happens if a teen violates curfew?

Police Chief Teresa Theetge says young people violating curfew will first be asked to simply go home or contact a parent or guardian to pick them up. If the teen doesn't comply, a police officer may detain them and transport them to a safe location: their home; a curfew center that will be established at Seven Hills Neighborhood House in the West End; or (if the person is being charged with a crime or has an outstanding warrant) the Hamilton County Youth Detention Center.

Staff at Seven Hills will make further attempts to contact a parent or guardian and provide transportation home. If an adult cannot be reached, the teen will be taken to Lighthouse Youth and Family Services' Mecum House for voluntary overnight care.

A flow chart showing the process for CPD to enforce curfew with minors
City of Cincinnati
/
Provided
A flow chart showing the process for CPD to enforce a curfew for minors.

The Seven Hills curfew center and Lighthouse will be staffed on Friday and Saturday nights. On other nights, officers would still try to locate a parent or guardian.

"If all efforts fail in contacting a parent, then we would take the youth up to 2020 [the Youth Detention Center]," said Theetge.

From there, Judge Kari Bloom of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court says she's working with city officials to identify community volunteers that could help transport kids home.

A minor who violates curfew could be "guilty of a curfew violation" while their parent, guardian, or any other adult responsible for that minor could be charged with a minor misdemeanor.

The judge says a curfew violation is what's known as a status offense.

"It's only against the law because of your age," Bloom told council members. That means a minor cannot be incarcerated on a curfew violation alone. A teen may be booked into the Hamilton County Youth Detention Center if they are also charged with crimes, or if they have an outstanding warrant.

Bloom also warned City Council that teens transported to Mecum House are not obligated to stay there.

"As someone who receives criticism for the revolving door of 'delinquency,' I just want you to know that that kids can check themselves out and go right back out," Bloom told council members. "That is, of course, something that I hope is the last resort ... we're being really diligent and hoping that community members, as well as folks from the court, can help reunite kids with their families or get them dropped off someplace safe to avoid that placement."

See the full presentation slides below (article continues after):

Council members expressed mostly support for the plan. Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney asked why the extended curfew district is focused on Downtown and Over-the-Rhine and not citywide.

Long said the data shows the highest percentage of juvenile arrests this year have happened Downtown and in Over-the-Rhine. And, the 11 p.m. curfew will be in place citywide.

"Every officer [citywide] will be made aware of this curfew and the opportunity to utilize the curfew center," Long said.

Council Member Anna Albi said she would like to see the procedural process of warnings before citations formalized in the ordinances.

"We're not trying to criminalize kids, right?," Albi said. "We're trying to get them home safe. We're trying to make sure they're not committing crimes and they're not victims of crimes."

City Solicitor Emily Woerner responded by saying the city administration tries to strike a balance between what's appropriate language for ordinances versus what's more appropriate for policies and procedures.

"I'm not a big fan of curfews," said Council Member Evan Nolan. He asked if the curfew could discourage organizations from have youth-focused events Downtown, like a high school prom.

"It does feel a little bit like we're asking officers to go above and beyond with babysitting children, and I'd much rather have their efforts focused on other things," Nolan said. "Ultimately, I am supportive, even though there are parts that I'm not the biggest fan of. I just hope that down the road, we can revisit all of this as we see the effects of the policies."

What happens next

Council's Public Safety and Governance Committee heard a presentation on the plan Tuesday; you can .

The ordinances go into effect immediately upon passage. City Manager Long says her office is still working on contracts for Seven Hills and Lighthouse, so enforcement wouldn't begin in earnest until at least next weekend.

It's not yet clear how much those contracts will cost or where the money will come from. With approval from City Council on the two ordinances, the city administration is authorized to move forward in the process without further council action.

Read more:

Corrected: August 8, 2025 at 11:03 AM EDT
The number and names of parks included in the curfew has been updated.
Updated: August 6, 2025 at 6:10 PM EDT
This story was first published on Aug. 5, 2025 and updated to include votes by Cincinnati Council and the Cincinnati Parks Board on Aug. 6, 2025.
Updated: August 6, 2025 at 5:36 PM EDT
Becca joined WVXU in 2021 as the station's local government reporter with a particular focus on Cincinnati. She is an experienced journalist in public radio and television throughout the Midwest. Enthusiastic about: civic engagement, public libraries, and urban planning.