Would a Curfew Reduce Youth Crime?

A curfew bill proposed by Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett has spurred debates over whether a youth curfew goes too far.

Bill 25-11 would ban youths 18 and younger from public places from midnight to 5 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the week.

According to a statement released by Leggett, "Bill 25-11 would establish a curfew for minors; make certain findings; prohibit certain activities during the curfew; provide for certain defenses; establish enforcement procedures and penalties; and generally amend County law relating to offenses and curfews."

The bill states, "There has been an increase in juvenile violence, juvenile gang activity, and crime by minors in the County." However, Montgomery County Police and the County Executive's office do not have comprehensive statistics available that reflect that statement.

A 2010 year-end report on the county website states that there were 1,187 juvenile offenses in the county last year. Patrick Lacefield with the County Executive's office said the category doesn't include all crime committed by underage people, since youths can also be arrested on adult charges. That number — 1,187 — is a subset of overall crime, Lacefield said.

According to county police and the County Executive's office, a new report is being compiled that includes updated statistics of crime committed by minors. Calls to Montgomery County Police Department's 5th District in Germantown weren't immediately returned.

On Wednesday in Silver Spring, Montgomery County Police Lt. Bob Carter opened a community meeting about the curfew law with raw footage of an apparent gang fight on July 1, which resulted in the stabbing of a 17-year-old girl, the reported Thursday.

In the video, a group of 50 to 70 young people are apparently standing around Georgia Avenue near downtown Silver Spring and eventually flee from police cars. 

“This is when we encounter problem people, after hours. We have tools in our toolbox to hopefully lessen the chance of a bigger problem later,” Carter said.

In response to Leggett's bill, county high school students have started a called "Stand Up to the MoCo Youth Curfew!" The group had garnered the support of more than 5,000 people as of Thursday.

“The toolbox is full,” said Abigail Burman, a former Richard Montgomery High School student and creator of the “Stand Up to the MoCo Youth Curfew” Facebook campaign. Burman said police can use existing laws against loitering and disorderly conduct without implementing legislation that would so broadly target young people.

Chester Lam, a 2011 Montgomery Blair High School graduate and member of the Facebook campaign, agreed. 

“It’s too broad," Lam said. "It’s like throwing a knife to kill a fly."

The new curfew could mean no more midnight movie premieres and late-night concerts for those under 18, a sore subject on the group's Facebook page message board. But police said the curfew would be implemented on a situational basis, Silver Spring Patch reported.

“This is not to sweep up all the youth coming out of 'Harry Potter' at Regal Cinema at 12:01 a.m.," Carter said. "This is not a juvenile sweep problem.”

According to Census data, youths 19 years old and younger make up about 26 percent of Montgomery County and nearly 30 percent of Germantown's population.

The bill could also punish parents who knowingly violate the curfew law. While minors who violate the curfew may be ordered to perform up to 25 hours of community service for each violation, parents may be required to complete parenting classes, the bill states. 

The proposed bill is similar to laws that exist in Prince George's County and the District. Prince George's County Police Cpl. Evan Baxter said that that county's code started being enforced in July 1996. Because there are many factors that precipitate the commission of a crime, the department doesn't wish to speculate on factors such as age, he said.

The District's curfew applies to youths 17 years old and younger. From September to June, curfew is from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and for July and August, hours are 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. daily, according to the Metropolitan Police Department's website.

The law applies to non-District residents (or anyone under 17 who is in the District during curfew hours). Adults who violate the Juvenile Curfew Act are subject to a fine or community service, and minors may be ordered to perform community service.

The District's law has several exemptions for minors from curfew, including whether they are accompanied by a parent or guardian, if they are going to and from work and if they're involved in an emergency, according to the website.

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Ryann Blackshere contributed to this article.