Detroit City Council has voted to increase fines on parents whose children violate the city’s long-standing juvenile curfew law — a move described by officials as a necessary step toward safety and accountability. The ordinance update, passed this week, marks the first change to the city’s curfew penalties in decades. But as the city intensifies efforts to reduce youth violence, the decision has stirred questions among community members about whether economic punishment will drive the outcomes city officials say they want.
First-time curfew violations will now result in a $250 fine, while second-time offenses will carry a $500 penalty. The council also eliminated jail time as a sentencing option for parents of repeat offenders. That change was welcomed by Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison, who had urged the council to adopt the revised ordinance.
“This is a step as far as accountability,” Bettison said during the meeting. “But it’s not about penalizing anyone. I just need to change behavior.” He emphasized that the updated ordinance is designed to send a message that community safety requires involvement from both law enforcement and families.
“We’re going to hold individuals accountable,” he said. “And we’re doing this out of love to ensure that our most valuable, precious individuals in the city of Detroit are safe.”
The police department, he said, will treat curfew violations as intervention opportunities. When minors are picked up after hours, officers can help direct them — and their families — toward support services instead of sending them through the juvenile court system.
“If a family is truly struggling,” Bettison said, “the courts can work to help them get needed services. And so parents have a choice to make: Pay the penalty, the fine, or take an option and get some resources.”
Bettison said stepping up curfew enforcement is just one tool — but a necessary one — that police need to help deal with a spate of juvenile gun crimes this summer, some of which have killed other children.
Curfew enforcement in Detroit typically applies to minors under 17, with the specific hours depending on the age of the child. Although the law has been on the books for decades, it has often been enforced unevenly. This summer, following a series of high-profile youth-involved shootings, police have renewed their focus on the curfew ordinance as part of a broader response to growing concerns about youth gun violence.
Bettison linked the move to several recent incidents involving teens and firearms, including cases where children were either victims or alleged perpetrators. “This is about getting ahead of the violence,” he said. “Curfew is one of several tools we have to stop something before it happens.”
Still, questions remain about whether these fines will truly result in safer outcomes. There is longstanding debate around the effectiveness of curfews in reducing youth crime. Several national studies have concluded that juvenile curfews have little to no consistent impact on violence or victimization rates. Critics of curfew enforcement have cited this research, arguing that policies built around fines may not create behavioral change — but may create financial instability.
Some fear that the cost could be especially burdensome for families already facing economic hardship. A $250 fine can mean the difference between a paid utility bill or a week’s worth of groceries. The second offense — at $500 — brings even greater strain, particularly for caregivers already navigating housing costs, child care, and limited job flexibility.
Bettison responded to those concerns by emphasizing that the courts will provide alternate pathways. His intent, he said, is not to punish families but to change habits and prevent future harm.
“Parents have a choice to make,” he repeated. “Pay the penalty, the fine, or take an option and get some resources.”
That decision — between penalty and support — now sits at the heart of the city’s revised approach. Bettison’s message to parents was clear: know where your children are, and make sure they’re home before curfew.
“This is a step as far as accountability,” he said. “But it’s not about penalizing anyone.”
The ordinance’s removal of jail time was seen by some as a shift toward fairness. Fines, however, still represent a serious consequence — and whether or not they’ll work as intended remains uncertain.
Bettison made his position clear. The department, he said, is using every resource available to prevent more youth-involved tragedies. “We’re doing this out of love,” he said, “to ensure that our most valuable, precious individuals in the city of Detroit are safe.”
Whether the updated curfew ordinance will lead to meaningful change is a question that remains unanswered. What’s certain is that Detroit families will feel its impact most directly. Parents and guardians — already holding together households through inflation, job demands, and safety concerns — will now carry added responsibility if their children are found violating curfew.
The city’s intention is safety. The mechanism is enforcement. But real transformation requires more than rules. It requires a city willing to invest in its young people, understand its working-class families, and listen to the voices that have carried Detroit through every era of change.
As summer stretches on and enforcement tightens, Detroit will see what this policy delivers. Whether it prevents violence or adds another layer of difficulty for parents doing their best — that will be seen in how the courts apply it, how the community responds, and whether city leaders remain committed to walking with families instead of simply issuing warnings.
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