New curfew to make downtown off limits to minors after 9 p.m. on weekends
People under age 18 could be subject to a $300 fine for hanging out downtown after 9 p.m. on weekends under a curfew ordinance approved Wednesday.
The Las Vegas City Council voted 6-0 in favor of the curfew ordinance which could be in effect by Friday, which will likely be a busy night for downtown partying. The existing citywide weekend curfew of midnight will remain in effect elsewhere.
The early curfew will apply to streets in downtown bar and casino districts, with boundaries of Main Street, Maryland Parkway, Bridger and Stewart avenues.
It’s a pared back version of the original proposal that would have covered much of the central city, including residential neighborhoods.
That version was scaled back after protests from people who said it could lead to unnecessary harassment of people in the mostly working class and minority neighborhoods that surround the Fremont Street booze and gambling corridor.
Las Vegas police pitched the idea for a curfew in response to crowds surging downtown on the first Fridays of recent months. Police said the crowds came with an increase in violence and public drunkenness.
Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285. Follow him on Twitter @BenSpillman702.
