Violent crime drops across Fayetteville; city leaders point to youth curfew

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — New crime data from the Fayetteville Police Department shows major violent crimes are trending down across the city, with local leaders saying Fayetteville’s youth curfew is helping make a difference.

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During a Fayetteville City Council meeting Tuesday night, Fayetteville Police Chief Roberto Bryan Jr. presented the department’s first quarterly crime report for 2026.

According to the report, homicides dropped 46% during the first three months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Police data also showed robberies, break-ins, and motor vehicle thefts all declined during the first quarter.

Mayor Mitch Colvin told CBS 17 the city’s youth curfew is part of a broader public safety strategy that appears to be working. He emphasized the curfew is not the only reason crime is falling, but says the city’s overall approach is showing results.

“We just had a multitude of incidents the city council wanted to take decisive action on,” Colvin said. “We passed about four of five priorities on public safety, which included the curfew.

“As I emphasize before this, there is no silver bullet that will point to one solution,” he said.

Fayetteville’s youth curfew was approved by city leaders last year following a spike in gun violence, including shootings near the Dogwood Festival. The ordinance bans children 16 years old and younger from being in public places between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., with some exceptions.

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The curfew began full enforcement last summer.

According to Fayetteville police, officers caught 13 juveniles violating curfew between January and March this year. Five of those juveniles were charged with various crimes, including assault.

New police data also showed more than a 100% increase in officers recovering guns and drugs from juveniles. At the same time, juvenile robberies, break-ins, and motor vehicle thefts all trended downward during the first quarter of 2026.

“I think all those things point to success,” Colvin said. “We will take a full scale approach at it.”

With summer break beginning for many students, according to Colvin, city leaders are focused on keeping young people engaged and off the streets late at night.

“As the kids get out of school, we want to make sure they have positive options. We want to make sure there is parental accountability for where they are in the afternoon, late hours,” Colvin said.

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