After instances of groups of teens fighting and destroying property at the Wharf, and other spots, a call was issued for expanded curfews for young people.
On Tuesday, the D.C. Council answered that call by approving a proposal by Mayor Muriel Bowser to change the citywide curfew to 11 p.m. for the summer.
The approval effectively moves the start time an hour earlier from the current curfew.
“Now that we’re in summer, when we know that incidents of violence and crime tend to tick upward citywide, especially among our young people, we have to have some flexibility in our juvenile curfew to allow MPD to protect our kids and to protect the public,” said Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto, who introduced legislation to extend the curfew.
One key change in this legislation is that those aged 17 are also among youths who must be out with an adult during curfew hours. Previously, curfews only applied to those who were 16 or younger.
The emergency legislation also gives the mayor the ability to authorize an emergency curfew and allow the D.C. police chief to create an extended juvenile curfew zone in areas that are considered hot spots.
Once a zone is in effect, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said on Thursday, officers would give those gathered verbal warnings to leave the area. The council agreed that at least two commands should be given.
Smith stressed that not following a curfew is not a criminal offense, it is a violation, and those who refuse to leave will be taken to the D.C.’s Youth Services Center to be picked up by their parents or guardians.
Ward 5 council members authored an amendment that made several changes to the original legislation, among them, changing how large a group must be before it can be considered a violation. The number was changed from three to eight teenagers.
“A group of young people that are grabbing ice cream or leaving a basketball court could have gotten caught up in the original language,” Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker said.
The legislation also paves the way for emergency curfew zones to have earlier start times, but no earlier than 8 p.m. Also, the original call for curfew zones has been reduced from 15-day stretches to four days.
“I’m pretty sure teenagers have been causing melee and mischief since there have been teenagers, but when we look at hundreds of young people that have gathered, that’s a different thing, and it does require a response,” Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen said.
But, Allen added, this shouldn’t be looked at as the only tool to handle these sorts of situations and encouraged the city to continue outreach programs aimed at young people. The DC Department of Parks and Recreation has also provided some late-night events called “Late Night Hype” to provide a positive place for kids to hang out.
Christina Henderson, D.C. Council member at large, also called on communities to help curve youth violence.
“There are lots of activities for young people to do, but I also encourage communities to think outside of the box in terms of how to create atmospheres and opportunities on your block, on your street, and in order to engage young folks,” Henderson said.
The new earlier curfew will be in effect through August.
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