Yes
Madison had a curfew for at least a decade before repealing it in March 2023, though it’s reentering public discussion after large fights.
Until three years ago, Madison ordinances barred youth under age 17 from streets between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. on school nights and 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. on weekend nights. Exceptions included going to and from work and school activities.
Madison’s Common Council voted 13-5 to repeal the ordinance. At the time, the Madison Police Department had issued just three tickets for curfew violations across several years and said teens usually went home when told about the curfew.
But police are again considering options like a curfew or age restrictions following large fights on State Street after the annual Mifflin Street Block Party, where two guns were recovered.
This fact brief responds to conversations like this one (in comments).
Sources
City of Madison Ordinances. Section 23.11.
City of Madison Legistar. File 75836.
Fox47. Parents vocal online about Madison Common Council’s decision to remove curfew for teens.
Channel3000. Madison police discussing ways to curb teen fights.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Six guns recovered, dozens arrested after Mifflin Street Block Party.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel collaborated with Wisconsin Watch to develop this fact brief. Wisconsin Watch is a member of the Gigafact program, newsrooms across the U.S. that deliver bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read more about our methodology at jsonline.com/FactBriefMethods.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Did Madison have a curfew for juveniles until three years ago?
Reporting by Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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