Troublesome teens have become a disturbance in the Delmar Loop. The city council met on April 25 to discuss taking measures to limit teen access. Plans for loitering fines were proposed, as well as extending the pre-existing curfew.

According to StLToday, “Many Loop business owners have told city officials their customers and employees have felt threatened and uncomfortable because youths in large groups frequent the area and some are loud, rowdy, belligerent and prone to steal.”
These teens could be targeted by a new curfew, which would keep all unaccompanied teens under 18 off the streets by 8 p.m. The current curfew, passed last year, was 9 p.m.
Another bill would charge up to $1000 to people blocking sidewalks.
These new bills have the support of the Loop businesses. Stores fear that large groups of teenagers will scare away older customers, people with more money to spend.
The legislature will progress carefully, as the Loop provides much of the income for University City. The last thing city board members want is for stores to lose revenue.
The problem with new bills is that they would target all teenagers. Kids that weren’t causing any trouble before wouldn’t be able to hang out in the Loop after curfew. Big attractions like the Pageant and Fro-Yo would be off-limits on weekend nights.
“It’s a small portion of the kids that are causing the trouble, but it’s impossible to single them out,” junior Roz Cuneo said. “I think the people who spend most money on the Loop are the people above 18. Most kids in high school don’t have jobs, or if they do they’re not well paying jobs.”
Cuneo wasn’t bothered by possible new restrictions. She said she didn’t stay out late in the Loop anyways. While Cuneo thought the laws might not be fair, she called them “rational.”
Senior Allison Goldfarb shared a similar view.
“The Loop isn’t really a great place for kids to hang out at night anyways,” Goldfarb said. “I think a curfew would benefit the kids under age 18. They might complain about how it’s unfair or that they hate the cops, but it will benefit them in the long run.”