LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lynchburg City Council voted 4-2 to extend a citywide youth curfew for another year after debate about safety and enforcement. Supporters point to fewer youth-involved incidents; opponents question enforcement and parental responsibility. Reporting is based on remarks from city officials and parents.
After a heated debate Tuesday night, the Lynchburg city council voted 4-2 to extend the citywide youth curfew for another year.
Police Chief Ken Edwards told the council the curfew was set to expire on March 2 and asked for another year to continue what he called a safety measure.
“The curfew initially came about because there were three children who were all tragically murdered, and to this date, there really hasn’t been any solution,” said Beth White, a Lynchburg resident.
From the numbers that have been associated, it has helped with some of the crime and it’s unfortunate that there are some parents that maybe don’t know where exactly their children are, said Jibri Poe, a Lynchburg City Schools parent.
“It’s for the good of the community, it’s us working together, it’s the idea that it does take a village to raise the kids. To me, it’s just one angle of the village,” said Amy Foster, a Lynchburg City Schools parent.
“In the event that a parent works late, or something happens, now you’ve got the community looking out for your kids too,” Foster added.
Supporters cited declines in incidents involving youth since the curfew began. Opponents raised concerns about enforcement, parental responsibility, and what metrics will be used to judge success.
Council members said they will continue monitoring the data and plan to revisit the curfew before March 2027.