A shooting in downtown Mobile early one Sunday drew a large police response and led to the permanent closure of Studio 5’4, a nightclub that had drawn crowds to the area. In the aftermath, Mobile police used the incident to remind residents, and parents in particular, about the city’s curfew ordinance covering minors.
Officials said part of the chaos that unfolded that night stemmed from a large crowd gathered downtown that was not connected to a nearby Beer Fest event taking place at the same time. The mix of unrelated gatherings and the shooting combined to strain police resources responding to the downtown entertainment district.
In response, the Mobile Police Department pointed residents back to the city’s existing curfew rules, which have been in effect since 2011. Under the citywide ordinance, minors are subject to a curfew Sunday through Thursday from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m., and from midnight until 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Within the downtown entertainment district specifically, the curfew is stricter, running from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. every night of the week.
The ordinance includes several exemptions. Minors may be out past curfew if accompanied by a parent, guardian or another adult authorized by a parent for a specific purpose. Exceptions also apply when a minor is running an approved errand, traveling to or from a job, responding to an emergency, or attending an approved activity such as a prom, sporting event, school function or religious event. Minors are also exempt while on the property or sidewalk where they live, or at a next-door neighbor’s home, provided no complaints have been filed about their presence there.
City officials directed residents seeking the full text of the ordinance to the city’s website for complete details on enforcement and penalties.
The closure of Studio 5’4 marked the end of one of downtown Mobile’s nightlife venues following the shooting, and police signaled that stepped-up curfew enforcement in the entertainment district would likely continue as officials looked to prevent similar large, unaffiliated crowds from gathering downtown during high-traffic weekend events.