COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus City Council voted unanimously during its Sept. 29 work session to extend a 9 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18 in Uptown Columbus, keeping the restriction in place until Sept. 30, 2027.

The curfew started as a summer trial and covers a 12-block stretch of Uptown, from 8th Street to 14th Street and 2nd Avenue to Bay Avenue. Minors are barred from that area after 9 p.m.

Council members weigh safety against process concerns

District 8 Councilor Walker Garrett said he's talked with several teenagers in Uptown who told him they didn't want adult supervision and wanted to be where the activity was.

"If you want [to] send your child who is under the age of 18 down town after 9 p.m. where you regularly see DUIs reported, that is irresponsible," Garrett said.

Garrett argued the ordinance was necessary to protect both nightlife patrons and teenagers themselves.

"I understand there is flack around this. But if we can save one life over a curfew over our basically entertainment district where everybody drinks, it's our duty to pass this law," he said.

Not every council member was on board with how the extension came together. At-large council member Dr. Cathy Cook raised concerns about the process, saying the curfew was supposed to be reevaluated with data before a decision on next steps.

"We said to them when we agreed to this, that we would do this for a period, we would evaluate, we would assess with data, and then we would take next steps of action. To me this feels like we are not keeping our word," Cook said.

Penalties

Under the ordinance, a first offense results in a warning. A second offense carries a $500 fine, and a third can bring a fine of up to $1,000.

Despite Cook's concerns, the council approved the extension unanimously. Members can still revisit and change the ordinance in the future.