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School is out and summer is here, but the season comes with a curfew for Kansas City, Missouri's youth.
Citywide, anyone 15 years old and younger has to be with a guardian after 10 p.m. Those between 16 and 17 years old are required to be with a guardian after 11 p.m.
The curfew is stricter in nightlife hotspots. Those 17 years old and younger are not allowed to be in entertainment districts past 9 p.m. without a guardian.
The ordinance is meant to keep Kansas City's youth safe because crime is expected to rise in the summer.
But critics say the ordinance leaves teens little to do in the summer.
A youth curfew isn't new, and one has been in place for years. But security is tighter at popular nightlife areas, like Westport after violent incidents there in the past.
"We don't want another violent summer," KC Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw said.
Kansas City Police Department Major Leslie Foreman spoke to community members at a meeting on Thursday night that addressed concerns about how authorities will enforce the curfew.'
Major Foreman said officers will be looking for the troublemakers.
"We're not going down to try and stop everybody who we think is underage and ID them and ask what they're doing," Major Foreman said. "We're looking for more problem issues that are popping up, and we'll respond to those."
Anyone underage out past curfew and causing problems could be escorted home, get a ticket, or even be detained by police. Advocates hope it keeps kids safe, but some say it keeps kids bored.
"Where are the dollars to help create spaces for the young people?" a community member asked at Thursday's meeting.
The Linwood YMCA is hoping to bring in more youth with monthly teen and tween nights as an alternative to KC's nightlife.
"We have a live DJ there, lights, smoke, it is a party atmosphere," Executive Director Wesley Triplett said. "I believe that experience is everything and we want to do it up for our young people."
Triplett manages youth programs at the YMCA and recognizes how important it is for teens to let loose in a safe environment.
"We have to have opportunities for them to have fun," Triplett said. "We have to have opportunities for them to be productive."
Parents and teens can expect to see more security guards in the Plaza and more patrolling in Westport. As summer heats up, city leaders hope crime cools down.
"As a parent, it is important to try and do whatever we can as policymakers to try to ensure that our youth feel safe," Mayor Pro Tem Parks-Shaw said.
More programs for youth and teens in KC this summer can be found here.