Charlotte curfew is Winston-Salem's model. A closer look casts doubt on its relevance

The Winston-Salem Police Department, in proposing nighttime restrictions on juveniles, has pointed to Charlotte's youth curfew as a case study.

"After reviewing all models, Charlotte's approach demonstrated the greatest success, with a significant reduction in juvenile crime," the department claimed in a pair of presentations to council members.

"We modeled our proposed ordinance after Charlotte's because of their success," Lt. Joel Morissette told city council members Monday.

At that meeting, and at a Public Safety Committee meeting a week earlier, Morissette referenced Charlotte's reductions in juvenile crime in 2025 and so far this year as evidence that the Queen City's curfew was producing the kind of results Winston-Salem police wanted to see here.

City Manager Pat Pate offered a similar assessment at the June 8 meeting.

"Hopefully this is as successful as Charlotte's, and you see a reduction in juvenile crime," he said.

On Monday, Morissette said, "Charlotte's model serves as a strong blueprint," while adding that a local curfew would be tailored to Winston-Salem's needs.

But that blueprint, Charlotte's Youth Protection Ordinance, has been in place since 1994 and hasn't been modified since 2011. That means the gains cited by Winston-Salem police as justification for similar restrictions here weren't the result of a new or revised curfew.

Winston-Salem police also left out a key statistic. Eleven juveniles died in homicides in Charlotte in 2025, which was just one less than in 2024.

Also of note: the Charlotte statistics reflected juvenile crime across all hours of the day, not just during curfew hours.

The JADE effect

However, there was a key contributor to Charlotte's improved statistics in 2025. The gains came just a year after the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department created its Juvenile Accountability, Diversion and Empowerment (JADE) Unit.

That team "has been a key factor in the decline in juvenile crime by focusing on early intervention, consistent follow‑up with at‑risk youth and connecting families to needed services," a spokesperson said in an email to the Journal. "Their work helps address issues before they escalate into more serious offenses."

The department's youth-focused efforts go beyond the JADE Unit.

"The progress we're seeing is the result of coordinated work across the department," the spokesperson said. "Patrol officers, school resource officers, investigators and our community partners all play a role in prevention, accountability and long‑term safety."

Morissette told council members Monday that the Winston-Salem Police Department plans a similar team.

"We already have personnel with some of that training," he noted. "Shortly, the executive staff … will get together and make the decision and staff those units. But right now, I think we're looking at repurposing a unit that already exists, adding staffing (and) letting them go to work."

Winston-Salem police have also referenced a youth diversion program among potential penalties for violators of a curfew. While the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has an ambitious diversion system for juveniles, Winston-Salem does not.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the two ordinances is their scope. Under Charlotte's curfew, children under 13 must be off the street by 10 p.m., and teens ages 13 to 15 are restricted beginning at 11 p.m.

Winston-Salem's proposed citywide curfew requires all 17-year-olds and younger to be off the streets by 10 p.m.

Council voted 5-3 on Monday in favor of enacting its own Youth Protection Ordinance. It is scheduled to conduct a required second vote at a specially called meeting next Monday at 4 p.m.

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