It's been nearly a year since Bricktown began a new curfew for minors. Is it working?

Nearly one year into an earlier curfew for unaccompanied minors in Bricktown, police and business owners say things have improved in the popular entertainment district.

In 2023, there were only been eight instances where an officer had to cite someone for breaking curfew, said Maj. Dan Stewart, with the Oklahoma City Police Bricktown Division. In 2022, the department wrote 22 citations for breaking curfew, which at the time was 11 p.m. for unaccompanied minors.

The curfew was approved by city council last February and took effect immediately after Bricktown businesses complained about juveniles making trouble in Bricktown.

On a weekend night, Bricktown is teeming with teenagers exploring the district. Police officers gather in areas they know they'll encounter youths, like outside the movie theater, to let them know curfew has arrived.

Maria, 15, was spending time with friends in Bricktown on a Friday night in December. She said she thinks the curfew could be a way to keep young people like her safe.

"I think it's good because there's been accidents around here, like shootings and stuff," Maria said. "But at the same time, I know some people just want to be here and have fun."

More: What can teens do in OKC for fun? Here are a few ways to beat boredom in the metro area

Sergio, 16, said he didn't mind the previous 11 p.m. curfew, but that having to leave Bricktown at 9 p.m. is "kind of lame."

"We normally come here and kick it, and once it hits 9, we either go home or go to Scissortail," Sergio said.

Feedback from Bricktown businesses positive on 9 p.m. curfew

Justin O'Neal, Bricktown manager for the Downtown OKC Partnership, said the curfew has reduced the large crowds of loitering minors, as well as allowed police to shift their focus after 9 p.m. to preparing for club closing time.

"Bricktown has the privilege of being Oklahoma City’s premier entertainment district, and it is important to all of us that the district remains a safe and fun destination for everyone," O'Neal said.

Lateria Allen, owner of Brickopolis, said she has definitely seen a change for the better.

Before the early curfew, Allen had set up her own 8 p.m. curfew for her business. After 8 p.m., only minors with adults were allowed, after tiring of the vandalism, property destruction and inappropriate behavior.

Now, she said she feels like the environment has changed with the new curfew.

"Kids are aware that there is a curfew and it's able to be enforced, so that helps," Allen said. "And it's definitely changed the perspective out here of 'I can come to Bricktown and destroy property,' and be in places that they don't need to be in and doing things they're not supposed to be doing."

Ashley Bernal, a cashier at Bricktown Candy Co., said before the 9 p.m. curfew was enacted, there would frequently be "bands of kids" coming in and stealing candy.

They would often wait until the cashier was distracted checking someone out, or they would cause the distraction themselves by pretending to want to purchase something while others got out with their stolen wares. It was so prevalent at times, that she was essentially acting as security for the shop.

Now, Bernal said, there has been none of that. She has seen a few stray teens in the store after curfew, but once she lets them know about it, they leave.

Instead, the teens have been coming in earlier, and overall she said it seems the police have done a good job educating on and enforcing the curfew.

What happens when someone breaks the Bricktown curfew

Starting about 8:30 p.m., Bricktown officers begin informing any unaccompanied minors they see that curfew is about to start.

Unless they have a movie ticket or other valid excuse, any teen found after 9 p.m. can be given a citation. The municipal court will determine whether a fine up to $500 will be issued.

While breaking the curfew is not an offense eligible for jail, Stewart said minors can be arrested while waiting to be picked up by an adult.

If no one can be reached, the teenagers can be brought to the Community Intervention Center, a 24-hour holding facility for youths.

While the Oklahoma City Police Department does not have Bricktown-specific crime data, Stewart said anecdotally he has not seen an increase in crime involving juveniles since the curfew went into effect.

Does Bricktown deserve its unsafe perception?

When the curfew was proposed, O'Neal said he didn't want people to get the impression that Bricktown is unsafe.

Stewart said he believes Bricktown is one of the safest places to be on a weekend night in Oklahoma City.

There are usually six officers assigned to Bricktown throughout the week, but over the weekend the department brings in 25 more, making it a "significant" police presence, Stewart said.

"When something does happen, our response time is seconds, not minutes," Stewart said.

But not all Oklahoma City residents feel safe in Bricktown. Several people surveyed in the city's 2023 Resident Satisfaction Survey said they feel unsafe in Bricktown, especially after dark.

Commenters expressed concerns about shootings and other criminal activity that occurs in the area.

"What's unfortunate is when something happens in Bricktown, it gets a lot of attention," Stewart said. "And it's on every news station. And that affects people's perception."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How police, businesses say OKC Bricktown's 9 p.m. curfew is going