TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa City Council voted 4-2 Thursday to advance a proposal to impose a curfew across Tampa for kids under 16 years old.

What You Need To Know

  • Discussion of a curfew comes in the wake of October's Ybor City shooting

  • If passed, the ordinance would adopt a state statute that sets a curfew at 11 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and 12 a.m. Friday through Sunday

  • Alongside the proposal, the city council is also exploring ways to enforce current rules in Ybor City

It made it to a second reading on a technicality, and after some heated debate. The 4-2 vote happened with one council member absent.

It began with Councilman Bill Carlson asking to move the discussion to Jan. 25. He wants more information about the curfew and statistics about it being successful in other cities.

A vote to move the discussion failed. So instead, Council Chair Guido Maniscalco suggested voting to advance it to a second reading with the intention of getting more information by then.

If passed, the ordinance would adopt a state statute that sets a curfew at 11 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and 12 a.m. Friday through Sunday.

Alongside the proposal, the city council is also exploring ways to enforce current rules in Ybor City, specifically the requirement that businesses have a parking lot attendant.  

Council members say some parking lots are being used for loitering and underage drinking, which could fuel issues in Ybor City.

The closer look at safety in Ybor City comes after a shooting that left 2 dead and 16 injured before Halloween.

Since then, the Tampa Police Department has held community forums with residents and business owners about what it is doing to help curb crimes and violence.