‘Important tool.’ Palmetto becomes latest Manatee County city to adopt curfew
Palmetto officials approved a juvenile curfew despite a contentious public hearing with mounted opposition to the curfew.
City Commissioners voted 4-1 on Feb. 23 to approve the curfew, with Commissioner Harold Smith the lone nay vote. Public comment was split on the curfew, with some saying it helps parents and is a “tool” for law enforcement, while others raised concerns about profiling and increased police contact.
In November, Manatee County Commissioners adopted a similar juvenile curfew for minors under 16 years old. The curfew prohibits minors under 16 from being in public without an adult from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sundays and Thursdays, and from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
However, the county’s curfew only applies to the unincorporated parts of the county. Municipalities like Palmetto and the island cities needed to pass separate ordinances to enact the curfew.
The City of Bradenton already had a similar curfew in place, and the City of Palmetto first brought the idea to the commission in December. The curfew is derived from a state statute that outlines a juvenile curfew that municipalities can enact.
Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler said conversations with community leaders, including school officials and other police departments led to his recommendation of adopting the curfew. Officials who backed the curfew also said having a curfew in Palmetto would reduce enforcement gaps.
“We were just looking for a tool that could work and get these kids home where they need to be with their families and with their caregivers,” Tyler said.
Some residents show opposition to curfew
Before public comment, Tyler explained to commissioners that the juvenile curfew is meant to keep youth safe by preventing juvenile crime and victimization. He also said the curfew is meant to help with juvenile truancy, saying that the school district is finding more students not in school.
“We felt that this would be an important tool for everybody to make sure that these kids were home safe, they weren’t out getting in trouble, they weren’t out being victimized and they were in school where they need to be the next day,” Tyler said.
Smith voiced his concerns early in the meeting.
“I don’t think we have a problem in the City of Palmetto,” Smith said.
He asked Tyler how many minors under 16 have been arrested in the past year. According to Tyler, the department arrested eight minors under 16 years old in 2025 during the hours that the curfew would be in place.
Smith questioned Tyler what would happen if the kids run because they’re scared of the police, to which Tyler replied an officer would have to catch them and ask their age. If the minor refuses to give their age or an ID, Tyler said an officer would detain the minor.
“I hope you don’t bring your Taser out,” Smith said.
According to the curfew — based on state statute — a minor found in violation of the curfew will be taken into police custody and to a police station, religious facility or civic organization. The officer must try to make contact with the minor’s parents and, if the parent is not reached within two hours, the officer can drive the minor home.
After the first written warning, minors and parents who knowingly violate the curfew can be subject to a $50 fine for each subsequent violation.
There are also exemptions, like for traveling to and from work, attending events with parents and school events.
Others in the crowd echoed Smith’s concerns about increased police interactions with Palmetto’s youth, including Tracey Washington. In 2023, Washington’s 36-year-old son, Breonte Johnson-Davis, died in the hospital after being detained by Palmetto officers who used a stun gun on him multiple times.
A medical examiner’s report showed the cause of death was multiple organ failure following a cardiac arrest caused by methamphetamine and a synthetic stimulant.
“My trust in the Palmetto Police Department is out the window,” Washington said. “Nobody was ever held accountable in my child’s death.”
Washington told commissioners that community members should focus on implementing programs to keep youth off of the streets and away from bad situations, rather than a curfew.
“If we truly want to make our community safe, we need evening recreation programs. We need youth employment initiatives. We need community-based mentoring. We haven’t even tried any of those avenues,” Washington said.
Bradenton resident Sarah McKane said many children under 16 don’t have IDs, and said the ordinance would give police officers the ability to look for kids under 16 that could create a “confrontational situation.”
“What the ordinance will do is increase police contact with young people, particularly Black youth,” McKane said. “When a young person is stopped and cannot immediately prove their age, what happens next depends on what your ordinance calls ‘officer discretion.’”
Commissioners approve juvenile curfew
Those in favor of the curfew said it could help parents with keeping their kids home during late hours.
“I support it because I think it actually supports the parents,” resident Rachel Kendzior said. “There is sort of a societal thing right now where (kids) are kind of coming and going as they please, and I think it helps our parents gain that support and that framework of boundaries back.”
Kendzior also supported the idea that a curfew in Palmetto would help enforcement across Manatee County.
“I think it also helps support our police department and our particular community as Palmetto to work together with Manatee County, to work together with Bradenton, and we are cohesive as a community,” Kendzior said.
Bradenton Police Chief Josh Cramer tried to ease some residents’ minds, saying the Bradenton Police Department is active with school programs and rarely needs to use its city’s curfew rules.
“I know there’s a lot of concerned citizens here from all over the region regarding the enforcement,” Cramer said. “I will say it is a tool for our officers to use, but it is rarely used because we were able to have good communications with our juvenile population.”
When it came time to vote, Smith continued his opposition to the curfew, saying he doesn’t see a youth crime problem in Palmetto, and emphasized earlier comments about the need for more programs.
“I think you got to have programs for the parents and the kids,” Smith said. “Some of y’all need to put it together. Stop this mess, put it together. I’d be happy to help you.”
But despite Smith’s opposition, other commissioners favored the curfew.
“If we can get those kids to bed at a certain time and they’re well-prepared the next day, we’re just producing a better child for their future,” said Commissioner Scott Whitaker.
Commissioners voted 4-1 approving the curfew, with Smith dissenting.
This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM.
