CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Chandler City Council is expected to make an important vote on two different ordinances to help curb violence in the city Thursday evening.
Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke, said he’s confident both the unruly gatherings and brass knuckles ordinances up for a final vote will pass.
The brass knuckles ordinance would ban anyone under the age of 18 from possessing, gifting or selling metal knuckles of any kind. The ordinance on unruly gatherings is to increase punishment in relation to them. Under the ordinance, partiers could face probation or jail time for violations.
If both pass, they’re set to go into effect on June 24. The ordinances stem from an increase of teen violence in the East Valley and an effort to crack down on it. The previous vote passed unanimously.
Hartke said other Valley cities are watching their vote. If approved Thursday, Mayor Hartke said marketing about the two ordinances will begin in the city. The education will be done in English, Spanish and Mandarin.
Assuming the ordinances take affect at the end of June, school will be out. So teams will be preparing school resource officers at the junior high and high school level to inform students for when they return in July. The education will even reach the elementary school level.
“We’ve also started a project which we have retired officers who are at our elementary schools," Hartke said. "So we will also be getting to them early as well as connecting with potential vendors, smoke shops, novelty stores, that might sell brass knuckles and let them know that it’s illegal to sell to anyone under 18.”
The final vote for both the brass knuckles ban and unruly gathering ordinances is set for just after 6 p.m.
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