Iowa City city councilors will soon consider two ordinances that would impose a citywide curfew and criminalize certain bad behavior in juveniles.

The proposals, which the council will discuss on Sept. 10, follow a spate of incidents involving numerous minors on the city’s Southeast Side.

“What a curfew does is it gives me a lawful reason to detain a 14- or 16-year-old,” said Iowa City police Sgt. Troy Kelsay.

A curfew could possibly affect UI students under 18 years old, but city officials are unsure at this point. The UI had 161 minors enrolled in the fall 2008 semester. No census data were available for this semester.

But both City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes and Councilor Matt Hayek, who is also a lawyer, said curfews typically hold a slew of exceptions.

“I can’t imagine a 17-year-old who attends the UI and has moved here from somewhere else would be swept up by this,” Hayek said.

Curfew enforcement would be left up to the officer’s individual discretion, Iowa City and Coralville police said. An officer may issue a citation, take the minor home or tell the individual to go home and have his or her parents notify police when they arrive, Kelsay said.

City staff are examining Coralville’s curfew, which Coralville Mayor Jim Faucett said has been very effective.

The curfew varies by age, time of year, and day of the week. There are also several exceptions.

Minors can travel to work, if necessary, and travel to a religious activity, for example.

In the past two years, Coralville police have issued only one citation, said Lt. Shane Kron.

Nevertheless, he said officers will frequently use the ordinance to take kids home, bring kids back to the police station, and charge them with other crimes.

North Liberty and Cedar Rapids also have curfews for minors.

Iowa City and police officials offered several differing views based on preliminary discussions.

Kelsay said the curfew will likely pass. Councilor Mike Wright said he was inclined to support a curfew, while Hayek said he hadn’t made his mind up one way or the other.

Both councilors are awaiting the city’s proposed ordinances before making decisions.

Initially, police did not support the curfew. They hope to see a version of the ordinance that would include the juvenile-court system, distinguishing it from many other cities’ curfews.

Kelsay said that would make the curfew an effective tool against repeat offenders who have a history of criminal behavior.

“If there is already some at-risk behavior, this is one more piece that you can use and possibly modify the behavior,” Kelsay said.

Eight Iowa City residents, ranging from 12 to 16 years old, were charged during an Aug. 5 shooting on the Southeast Side. They all had a criminal history, Kelsay said, and one had 13 previous charges from Iowa City police. He said he recognized all of their names.

Iowa City is also considering a juvenile delinquency act, which would criminalize certain behavior such as groups of kids blocking a roadway.

The council is set to vote on the ordinances at its meeting the second week of September. Councilors could approve both the curfew and the delinquency act, just one, or neither.