Proposed curfew for Colombia's teenagers for summer

COLUMBIA, SC — Columbia City Council Member Tyler Bailey is advocating for a teen curfew to increase safety and combat juvenile crime.

Bailey's proposal follows the tragic shooting death of 16-year-old Julian Armel Keel, who was killed after attending a graduation party. The incident occurred less than two weeks after a shooting at a pool in a northeast Richland County neighborhood left another teenager injured.

“It seems like every summer in Columbia there is an increase in shootings,” Bailey said. “There was one that happened a week before the shooting that resulted in the tragic loss of Keel. So the idea I had, after talking with colleagues, was to consider “possibly establish a curfew.”

Bailey stressed that the curfew is not intended to punish teenagers but to protect them.

“With all the guns on the streets, there are legal guns, now unlicensed and untrained, and guns in close proximity are very dangerous,” Bailey said. “So, I thought we should do something. It's a conversation starter.”

Bailey suggested a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of a curfew.

“A pilot program for 30 [to] “60 days over the summer to see if it helps, to see if it actually reduces the number of shootings or the number of incidents that our law enforcement has to respond to,” he said.

While Bailey acknowledges that a curfew may not be a complete solution, he believes it could have a significant impact. “I thought we had to act, and now is the time. Why wait? Why wait for the perfect solution when we can take action that could save a life.”

Further discussions are needed to determine the details of the curfew, including its timing and the areas it would cover. Bailey mentioned that the proposal would be referred to the public safety committee for further deliberations, involving participation from the community, parents and stakeholders.

“The matter is referred to our Public Safety Committee for a conversation with our colleagues on the City Council. Comments from the community, parents and stakeholders will be welcome in any public hearing and public dialogue on this matter,” Bailey said .

A public safety committee meeting is scheduled for June 25, where Councilman Bailey will present the idea and gather initial thoughts from residents. The location of this meeting has not yet been determined.

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