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Earlier teen curfew approved by Detroit City Council for Ford Fireworks
By a 6-2 vote minors under 18 must be with a parent, guardian or adult at 8 p.m. instead of the previous 10 p.m. for the Detroit Ford Fireworks.
FOX 2 - An 8 p.m. Ford Fireworks curfew for minors was approved by the Detroit City Council on Tuesday, extending the curfew for minors two hours earlier.
The backstory:
The event attracts thousands to downtown every year and with the rise of teen takeovers across the country, the move was made as a safety precaution. This year's show is set for 10 p.m. next Monday, June 22nd.
Council approved the measure by a 6-2 vote.
The hope is that an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew will cut down on the chaos and violence that can come at large events. Previously the curfew began at 10 p.m.
The curfew is something that has been in place for the last several years, but it needs to be approved by the City Council every year. Minors have to be accompanied by a responsible adult who is 21 or older.
Renata Miller, Detroit City Council member for District 5, supports the measure.
"I support this wholeheartedly," Miller said. "I am speaking not only for myself, but for every District 5 resident — every resident who contacted my office and emailed my office. They want a safe, peaceful environment. We want to hear the fireworks at 10 o'clock, not bombs and other things going off before then."
Denzel Anton McCampbell questioned whether the curfew would be effective.
"It's not a question of whether you care about public safety or want people to be safe," he said. "My question is whether this is effective in achieving that goal. My view is that it is not."
On Monday, a public hearing was held, with everyday people joining the meeting via Zoom to voice their concerns.
Last year two people were shot minutes before the firework display started, after a fight escalated to gunshots in the area of Larned and Randolph.
"We don't want to say we expect you to be rude and expect you to commit a crime while you're here. We expect you to conduct yourselves in an orderly fashion," said Detroit City Council Member Mary Waters. "We expect you not to bring weapons here."
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The Source: Information for this report is from today's council meeting and previous coverage of the story.