INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — IMPD will enforce statewide curfew laws on Friday night to crack down on violence after a youth mass shooting last weekend.

The curfew laws are already on the books. The only thing changing is IMPD’s enforcement plan.

Police will now contact parents or take kids to the Juvenile Detention Center if they are found outside after curfew and parents can not be reached.

The Indiana statewide curfew requires minors to be home between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The only exception is for teens ages 15 to 17, who are allowed to be out until 1 a.m. on Friday nights/Saturday mornings and Saturday nights/Sunday mornings.

“Let me be clear,” said IMPD Chief Chris Bailey. “A curfew will not solve all our problems.”

Exceptions include if the child is with a parent, guardian, or designated adult. Exceptions also include children going to or from work, school, religious activities, and emergencies.

Bailey said police are not babysitters, parents need to step up and know where their kids are and make sure they are at home.

“It is our duty as parents, as adults, and as law enforcement to keep our children safe, alive, out of jail and out of the cemetery,” said Bailey.

IMPD Deputy Chief Tanya Terry said there will be warnings over the patrol car PA systems leading up to the curfew.

“Residents can expect an increased presence of uniform and nonuniformed officers in and around the downtown area,” Terry said. “Analysts in the real-time crime center will monitor city cameras, and will use other technology to identify individuals engaging in disorderly and other criminal behavior.”

This is considered a status offense for youth, so IMPD can not arrest kids for breaking curfew.

“We will not be doing mass arrests and we will only take action when we need to and if our youth are engaged in reckless and disorderly behavior,” said Bailey.

IMPD plans to document each offense and they could be held against the parents.

“If that’s seen something over and over again, that’s something that could be additional intent or probable cause to charge a parent with those kinda things,” Bailey said. “It’s a status offense. Juveniles can not commit crimes.”

Any kids found breaking the curfew will first be returned to their parents, and if they cannot be found, they will be taken to the Juvenile Detention Center.

IMPD is working with Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears on potential charges for parents with kids involved in last week’s youth mass shooting.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett provided the following statement on his X account:

“I fully support IMPD’s efforts to dramatically increase the enforcement of State curfew laws. It is critical to understand that curfew enforcement will not come at the expense of longer-term solutions to address root causes — the data-driven, community-based strategy that has brought criminal homicides down at record rates. But today, as virtually every other category of criminal violence declines, we must maintain that progress while strengthening our response to the disturbing outlier: violence among our youth. Last weekend was unacceptable. Our children with guns left alone Downtown. Our community must find effective ways to reduce the harm that stems from neglect, abuse, and irresponsible gun possession.”