INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A City-County Council committee meeting on Wednesday night was heated as councilors approved a curfew extension.

The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee overwhelmingly advanced a proposal to change the curfew two hours earlier.

During a public hearing on the proposal, Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police No. 86, said, “We’re talking about criminal violent offenders armed with guns. They are laughing at what we’re doing here tonight. This means nothing to them.”

Although the proposal advanced, Snyder doesn’t think it makes a difference.

For ages 15 to 17, the proposal would move the curfew from 1 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. From Sunday through Thursday, it would be 9 p.m.

For those 15 and younger, the proposal would make it 9 p.m. every day.

The city leaders also approved an amendment that protected Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department from enforcing the curfew. The city leaders said the proposal will echo the state fines: a cap of no more than $2,500 for the first offense and $7,500 for the second offence.

IMPD Chief Bailey said during the presentation of the proposal, “Tonight is about action by the council. Although it’s not perfect, doing nothing is unacceptable.”

The proposal will next need the approval of entire City-County Council at its Aug. 11 meeting, and then the signature of Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett.

But, IMPD is already on standby.

Leroy Robinson, chairman of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, said that IMPD is “not going to wait until this passes and signed by the mayor to get this enacted. They’re doing this downtown and they have a more robust group at the reunification center downtown.”

IMPD has already started enforcing the proposed early curfews, and kids who break the curfew will be escorted to a reunification center where parents can pick up their children. The exact location of the safe place has not yet been announced.

But, Snyder doesn’t think its enough. “Everything that’s happened tonight isn’t going to change anything. It’s not going to bring back the dead children And it’s not going to do anything this weekend. It’s not going to do anything for another month.”

He says more must be done to address the criminal justice system that continues the revolving door of violent offenders. He suggested driving the message home with stricter prosecutors and the court systems so rules can be enforced.

As of Wednesday, curfew violations aren’t a criminal offense, and police don’t have access to juvenile records, so enforcing repeat offenders could be hard to impose.

If the proposal is approved, it’s only temporary. The state curfew will revert back after 120 days.

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