New Year’s Eve activity proposed for teenagers

Erin Neff

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1999 | 10:38 a.m.

Two residents told the Las Vegas City Council's Recommending Committee on Tuesday that they thought some sort of alternative activity should be planned for teens squeezed out of downtown areas on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day by a proposed curfew.

Councilman Larry Brown, the lone member of the committee present, recommended the full council pass a bill enacting the curfew. The council could adopt the curfew at its Dec. 15 meeting.

The proposed curfew amends an existing city code that prohibits persons under 18 from being outside unsupervised on weekend nights. The proposed amendment would place additional hours under the curfew on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

Those under 18 would be prohibited from an area bounded by Washington Avenue, Main Street, Sahara Avenue and Maryland Parkway between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. on each of those days unless they are with a parent or guardian.

The proposal does not apply to the Fremont Street Experience.

"We appreciated being excepted on the 31st," said Fremont Street Experience President Mark Paris.

But Paris said the pedestrian mall is willing to include itself in the new curfew for Jan. 1 because it will not have a gated activity with the means to keep teens out.

"This curfew is to ensure safety," said Metro Police Capt. Dan Barry, who oversees the downtown area command. "We're afraid that if they're out, there's a good chance of them being victimized or getting hurt."

But downtown resident Al Gallego worried that teens like his nephew might be arrested if they so much as went outside to greet the new year with traditional banging on pots and pans.

"I'm sure there will be some good discretion with that," Barry said of Metro patrols.

Breaking the curfew carries a potential $1,000 fine and six-month prison term.

Gallego suggested opening the Cashman Center for "some activities for our teenagers."