Charleston, S.C. – Local business owners and city officials are raising concerns about growing crowds of unsupervised teenagers in downtown Charleston, especially at night. Now, the city is considering a juvenile curfew to address the issue.
Why the Curfew Is Being Proposed
Charleston Police Chief Chito Walker said officers have responded to over 40 serious incidents involving juveniles downtown since last year. Many of these incidents happened late at night.
Business owners say groups of underage teens, ages 17 and under, are often just hanging out on the streets. They’re not shopping, eating, or going into bars and restaurants, and some say their presence leads to conflict.
“Underage kids 17 and under after 9 p.m. don’t have any business being around our businesses,” said Roy Neal, owner of El Jefe Restaurant. “They’re probably just loitering and not up to any good.”
How the Curfew Would Work
The proposed curfew would ban juveniles 17 and under from being downtown during the following times:
- Summer: Every night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Rest of the year: Thursday to Sunday, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The curfew area would include:
- King Street from Carolina to Broad
- Market Street south of King
- East Bay Street from Market to Broad
City leaders say the goal is not to punish teens, but to keep them safe and reduce late-night trouble in areas meant for adults.
City and Business Support
The curfew idea has support from business owners, police, and city council members.
Councilman Mike Seekings said, “You could walk on upper King Street on a busy night and see groups just standing around. Conflict naturally arose. This curfew is about safety.”
Roy Neal agreed, saying, “I applaud the city for being proactive. Businesses appreciate when government and police take action.”
Next Steps
The curfew ordinance will have its first official reading at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. If approved, it could be adopted by mid-June. There is no end date for the rule yet, but the city will monitor how effective it is.
A city statement clarified that this rule won’t apply to kids going home from work or school events. It’s meant to give police more tools to manage large, unsupervised teen groups downtown at night.
Charleston’s city leaders hope the juvenile curfew will help reduce conflict and keep downtown a safe, welcoming place for everyone. While not all details are final, the goal is clear: discourage late-night loitering and prevent problems before they happen.
