The universal 11 p.m. curfew for those 17 and younger allows DC Police to designate special zones where teens and kids are not allowed to congregate.
WASHINGTON — The Bowser administration is seeking to permanently implement the stricter youth curfew that was prompted by a series of disruptive mass gatherings of kids and teens across the District.
DC Police Chief Pamela Smith and Deputy Mayor of Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah told members of the DC Council that they are seeking a long-term implementation of the three-month program that was approved in July and expired earlier this month.
The enhanced summer curfew allowed Chief Smith to designate zones across the city where groups of no more than eight kids or teens could congregate starting at 8 p.m. It also established a universal 11 p.m. curfew for those 17 and younger.
The current curfew in the District does not apply to 17-year-olds and, on certain days, allows children to be unaccompanied in public places as late as midnight.
During a hearing held by the council’s committee on public safety, Appiah and Smith insisted that the program worked, which is why they seek to make it permanent.
“Being disruptive around our city and restaurants. We need to have a measure in place in order to ensure that this behavior does not continue, and this measure will allow us to hold folks accountable, young people accountable,” Smith told WUSA9 following her testimony.
Smith testified that during the summer activation, her department designates seven special curfew zones across the District, including three in Navy Yard and two along the U Street Corridor. She says no curfew arrests were made during this period.
Smith also told the council that since the council did not renew the curfew earlier this month, violent crime involving youth had seen a spike.
The hearing on Thursday was intended to only address a three-month extension of the enhanced curfew. Councilmembers requested the session after the Bowser administration requested the temporary extension. Some members, like At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson, said they wanted to hear from DC officials and the community before making a decision on another emergency legislation.
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker and Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George say they do not support making the stricter curfew policy permanent.
Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White says he is skeptical about the impact of the curfew on reducing crime.
Henderson voiced concerns about young people not having public places to congregate and about the participation of kids and teens from other jurisdictions.
“Where are they supposed to go? There’s no bowling alley, there’s no skating rink, there’s no affordable movie for them to go,” Dominque Moore told reporters. The D.C. mother and organizer was among the people who testified against the curfew extension. “What I do hear is that we would rather lock our children up and tell them to stay in the house rather than provide them with the structure and the resources and tools that they need to be sufficient,” she added.
However, Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who chairs the committee on the judiciary, says she is a strong supporter. Pinto pointed out during Thursday’s hearing that the objective was not to arrest young people, but a tool to make sure kids and teenagers are at home with their parents or guardians at an appropriate hour.
The temporary legislation will be voted on Nov. 4; however, it is still unclear whether the announcement of making this change permanent in the future will change any of the votes.