The D.C. Council passed emergency legislation Tuesday to reinstate the summer juvenile curfew of 11 p.m. for anyone under 18 years old. The curfew will be in effect for 90 days, and D.C. police can also declare designated curfew zones with earlier times.
Council member Brooke Pinto introduced the proposal and called it a preventive tool for D.C. police to utilize.
“When the chief of police gets word that there are fights planned or issues for a particular neighborhood that large groups of young people are planning to go to cause trouble, we can prevent that activity from happening,” Pinto said.
Council members agreed the curfew is not a long-term solution. There need to be more investments in resources for young people, including mentorship programs, job opportunities and mental health support.
“It’s never going to address every single challenge that we’re having, but it is one affirmative thing that we can do in a series of other things that we’re doing to protect our young people and to keep our communities safe,” Pinto said.
This development comes after a chaotic Halloween night in D.C.’s Navy Yard, where crowds of teens blocked traffic and ignored police. Fights broke out and several teens were arrested before police cleared the scene around 11 p.m.
For council member Robert White, the curfew does not fix the underlying issues and leads to racial profiling. He voted no.
“Those young people are going to leave less engaged, less connected,” White said. “When we pass curfews as a temporary fix without addressing the issue, all we do is make it worse. That is so unfair to people in D.C.”
Council member Janeese Lewis George also voted no. Although she’s supported youth curfews in the past, she said the situation has changed.
“Federal troops have been patrolling our city. My constituents call me every day, overwhelmed and terrified by the increased law enforcement presence,” she said. “This is why we cannot continue to implement tools or solutions that would increase surveillance and invite more policing of our kids.”
Council member Christina Henderson voted yes to the curfew but said the city still needs a comprehensive strategy to keep young people safe.
“Where do we want them to go?” she asked. “How do we want them to engage in community and socialize and learn how to become engaged citizens and community?”
After the summer curfew expired, Mayor Muriel Bowser said disruptive behavior resumed and she’s been pushing for a permanent curfew. Bowser implemented an emergency youth curfew in response to the incidents on Halloween that lasts through Nov. 5.
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