Pensacola City Council Moves Forward with Juvenile Curfew Ordinance

Mayor D. C. Reeves will present Proposed Ordinance No. 14-26 to the Pensacola City Council on Aug. 13. The measure would impose an 11 p.m. curfew on weekdays and a midnight curfew on weekends for anyone under 18 in public places, with higher fines for repeat violations and for parents of offending minors. The ordinance was drafted after a July Fourth weekend shooting on Palafox Street that left 19‑year‑old Phillip Sheppard Jr. dead and six others injured.

The proposal includes numerous exemptions, such as minors who are married, emancipated, accompanied by a parent or adult, attending a supervised activity, working, or returning directly home. First‑time violators would receive a warning, while subsequent offenses could result in escalating monetary penalties for both the youth and their guardians.