CINCINNATI — Short Vine could be the next area of the city to become off limits to minors after 9 p.m. under an ordinance being proposed to members of city council Wednesday.
The ordinance was passed by the Public Safety & Governance committee Wednesday morning, but it will still have to go before full council before it goes into effect; if city council approves it, it will go into effect immediately after.
Here is the curfew district as first presented to city council on Tuesday:
The ordinance will make it illegal for any person under the age of 18 to be in or around the Short Vine area after 9 p.m. and before 5 a.m., with some exceptions. That changes the city's current curfew, which does not go into effect until 11 p.m.
Those exceptions include if the minor is accompanied by their parent or guardian over the age of 21. The curfew also won't apply to emancipated minors.
The rest of the exceptions listed include:
- Exercising First Amendment rights protected by the Constitution
- Going to or from work without a detour or stop
- Attending an official school, religious or recreational activity sponsored by the City of Cincinnati, or another organization
- An emergency
- Being on the sidewalk abutting the minor's residence, or the residence of a next-door neighbor with that neighbor's permission
- Running an errand or performing a task ordered by the minor's parent or guardian.
The new curfew zone would entirely cover Short Vine between Daniels Street and Corry Street; it also appears to cover some sections near the intersections of Short Vine and Daniels, Short Vine and Charlton Street and Short Vine and Corry.
In August, city officials implemented a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors in parts of Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine and Central Business District neighborhoods.
What happens if someone is caught violating the curfew?
The plan is to currently handle curfew violations in the Short Vine area the same as they're being handled in the Downtown special curfew zone.
First, a Cincinnati police officer will engage with the minor and encourage them to go home; if they comply, the interaction ends there. If they don't comply, CPD can detain the child. If that child has outstanding charges, they will be taken to the juvenile detention center.
If not, it's up to the officer on how to handle the situation. If a child's parent or guardian can be reached, the officer can choose to drive the child home and hand them off to that adult. The officer can also request the parent or guardian come pick up the child.
However, if a parent or guardian can't be reached, the CPD officer can take the minor to one of two places: Either the Seven Hills Community Center, where staff will take up the job of contacting the child's parent or guardian, or to the Mecum House run by Lighthouse Youth & Family Services if the child needs to stay into the overnight hours.
Both facilities will provide the juvenile with food, water and a safe place to wait until their parent or guardian can be contacted. Kids will also have access to counseling and other services while they wait.
You can read the ordinance in full below:
Curfew Ordinance by webeditors
