The Virginia Beach City Council has approved moving the curfew for unaccompanied minors from 10 to 11 p.m. The council voted unanimously to change the curfew on Feb. 18.
“I first heard about it from a friend,” sophomore Lily Wharton said. “I think it would prevent me from being able to hang out with my friends earlier.”
The ruling requires minors to be supervised by a parent, guardian or responsible adult authorized by a parent. This change was approved unanimously by the Virginia Beach City Council. It will go into effect on March 19, restricting Virginia Beach residents under the age of 18 from being in public places from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
“It’s important to prioritize safety, and I understand why it was moved to an earlier time because a lot can happen during night time,” sophomore Teegan Watson said. “[However,] I also feel like it can take away some freedom, especially for students who want to hang out after school events.”
Minors who are found in public past the curfew without supervision can face verbal warnings and fines. They might also result in a Class 4 misdemeanor which can carry up to 12 months in jail and fines reaching $2,500.
“It doesn’t affect me personally too much; however, when I hang out with my friends, I just need to be cautious about how late we are staying out, especially after long school events like football games,” Teegan said.
Exceptions to the curfew include emergency errands relative to personal safety and having to drive to and from work. Those who are attending specified performances, religious services or any assembly protected by the U.S. Constitution.
“This curfew is important because we’ve had multiple instances where there have been juveniles with firearms at the Oceanfront that have gotten into all sorts of trouble or situations putting their safety at risk,” school resource officer Cameron Kolmer said.
Additionally, Virginia Beach enforced a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors at the Oceanfront. This emergency curfew will be every weekend until the end of April.
“It’s not there to punish kids that aren’t doing anything wrong; the curfew is simply for their safety,” Kolmer said.
More information about the curfew can be found here.
