x
Breaking News
More () »

Curfew in place for the District of Rock Island

Two factors have prompted the city's mayor to implement a curfew on the downtown area.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — A curfew has been set for the District of Rock Island as part of an executive order from Mayor Mike Thoms. 

The executive order states that businesses in the District must close at 1 a.m. The District includes 2nd Avenue from 17th Street to 19th Street and 18th Street between 1st Avenue and 3rd Avenue. 

"We don’t want large groups loitering and that’s the big message," said Mayor Mike Thoms.

At 1:30 a.m. the District area will close to all people, this means there is no loitering in the area after this time.  The District will remain closed until 6 a.m. The curfew is in effect as of Wednesday, September 2.  The mayor said the curfew would stand for 30 days.

"This is certainly not the first step and it’s certainly not the last step," said the District's alderman Dylan Parker.

According to the executive order, the curfew is in response to both an increase in COVID-19 cases and the deadly shooting that happened in the District on Saturday, August 29.

"We can’t just keep shuffling gun violence around the Quad Cities," Parker said. "We need to find a way to invest in our population, in my constituency, and grow our community holistically."

Parker said the city needs to invest in more lighting in the District and improve security - either from local police or a third party security firm.

"Frankly, in my opinion, [security is] not the bar owners' responsibility. Security and investment in public infrastructure is a municipal government's responsibility,
" Parker said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Thoms said it will take a joint effort, from all parties involved.

Parker added that improving economic development in the District will take the area to the next level. However, Mayor Thoms said a lot still needs to be done to get the city to that stage.

"It was hard to ask somebody to open a new business down here the way we were going," said Mayor Thoms.  

Read the full executive order below

Anyone who violates the curfew will be subject to vines or penalties. There are some exceptions to who can be in the area during the curfew, however. This includes people who work for the city, military, medical personnel, credentialed members of the media, and people heading to and from work. 

"Mayor Thoms consulted with all City Council members prior to this decision and everyone was in agreeance to execute the order," said a statement from the mayor's office.

Credit: City of Rock Island Executive Order
Credit: City of Rock Island Executive Order

Before You Leave, Check This Out