What you need to know about the summer curfew for minors in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Devin Blake
July 19, 2023
Did you know that the citywide curfew changes over summer? Did you know the change already went into effect?
If not, you are not alone. Many in the community are unaware of the seasonal change to curfew hours.
Here’s what you need to know.
Summer curfew hours are 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and are in effect through Aug. 31. Non-summer curfew hours are 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
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Both the child and their parents can be cited and fined for violating curfew, depending on the circumstances, said MPD Sgt. Efrain Cornejo.
The fine is $94 for the child and $195 for the parent.
The curfew ordinance is technically an ordinance that outlaws the “loitering of minors” as stated in the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances.
The ordinance prohibits minors being out in public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, places of employment, vacant lots or any public places in the city, whether on foot or in any conveyance.
Following this rule is “the first thing we can do to keep young people safe this summer,” said Marcey Patterson, community relations and engagement manager for the Milwaukee Police Department.
“There’s an increase in violence among young people,” said Patterson. “We have a significant gun problem on our streets. And so, parents need to know where their children are, who they’re with and what they’re doing.”
But there are instances when someone may be out during these hours, without violating curfew, Cornejo said.
“Issuances of citations is an officer’s discretion. There could be a reasonable reason why a minor is out past curfew,” he said.
The emphasis on summer curfew by MPD will not necessarily correspond to a change in ticketing frequency or strategy from MPD, however.
The emphasis is “a communication strategy to communicate to parents and guardians that there is a curfew, (and) the potential consequences of a curfew violation,” Cornejo said in an email.
“We are not saying curfew is a deterrent of crime,” Cornejo said. “What we are saying (is) that everyone, especially parents and guardians, need to be aware of where their youth is, who they are with and what they are doing.”
Beverly Williams has a school-aged granddaughter and is part of a community organization called Community Takeover Voices of Milwaukee’s Children that advocates for a range of reforms at Milwaukee Public Schools.
Williams said she did not know about the summer curfew but added, “If it is happening for children up to ages 17, it should happen.”
For those who are dubious, Williams references a recent incident at a gas station on the North Side where a 17-year-old was shot and subsequently hospitalized. The shooting took place around 11 p.m.
Diana Rico, a mother of four living on the South Side, said she also was not aware of the change in curfew for summertime.
Rico agreed that promoting the message that parents should know where their kids are is important but does not see the point “if it’s not really going to be enforced.”
Rico’s 12-year-old daughter, Sheyla Landa, said she knew of a curfew but believed it was related to the pandemic and was no longer applicable.
Landa also said promoting the message that parents should know where their kids are is an important one. But she said she does not believe a curfew would affect the behaviors of many of her friends.
“My friends aren’t the best with following rules. Most of my friends in school – they vape, they smoke, they skip class,” she said. “I feel like a curfew doesn’t stop them from doing what they want to do.”
If these friends incurred fines, Landa added, “They would say, ‘My parents will pay it off. It’s fine. I don’t care.’”
Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.