A new grassroots initiative to curb youth violence is taking shape in Oklahoma City.
On Friday, local clergy members, city leaders and law enforcement officials gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church to announce the launch of #InBy10, which urges parents and guardians to have their children home by 10 p.m. for the next three months.
The initiative is led by pastor Derrick Scobey, who also serves as an Oklahoma County jail trustee. He became the voice of the coalition after he was approached by Douglass High School Principal Kevin Jones.
Scobey said in his combined roles, he has been able to see the impact of youth violence firsthand.
"As a pastor in this community, I have comforted, really, far too many families through the loss of their children," he said. "As a member of the Oklahoma County Jail Trust, I have witnessed firsthand how our young people enter a system that really forever changes the trajectory of their lives."
In the past several months, many young people have been shot or killed by homicide in the Oklahoma City metro area, including a teen after the Thunder won the NBA championship, a recent high school graduate the same week and multiple others.
Scobey said the time to act is now.
Since 2023, at least 780 young people have gone through the local juvenile justice system, according to Oklahoma County District Judge Lydia Green. She also showed up to support the initiative, calling the number of young people breaking the law "astronomical."
Further supporting the call for a curfew, Associate Judge Angela Singleton said 37% of young people arrested and processed at the county jail are brought in after midnight.
City councilors in Tulsa recently approved a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for young teens on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in parts of the city. The Bricktown district in Oklahoma City has a similar provision, enacted in 2023.
After the conclusion of a 90-day implementation period, the coalition will meet again to analyze the impact of the curfew.
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