The D.C. Council has voted to extend the city’s expanded juvenile curfew policy until April of next year.
Tuesday’s vote to extend the policy comes as lawmakers debate whether stricter curfews should become permanent.
Anyone under the age of 18 faces daily curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. in D.C.
But police can create additional extended curfew zones to deter large gatherings, barring kids from meeting up in large groups at certain spots, starting as early as 8 p.m.
“This curfew policy was in effect over the summer and then there was a gap in the law after the council extended it in October, where it wasn’t in effect,” Washington Post reporter Jenny Gathright told WTOP.
“During that time, there was a series of large gatherings of young people. In some cases, there was violence, including one really high profile incident involving hundreds of young people and the National Guard, and that ended with an arrest.”
Gathright said Mayor Muriel Bowser ended up blaming the council for that series of events, adding that they let the curfew lapse and it was their fault.
Council members rejected that notion, but the curfew continued to be a debate, and ultimately “they did decide to extend it through April, to keep it in effect so they can study its effects and get some more data before deciding to make it permanent.”
Three council members voted against the bill on Tuesday.
At-Large Council member Robert White, one of the dissenting votes, said he didn’t want to “let the city off the hook for creating a great plan.”
Outside of the curfew zones and times, he pointed to the need for trade and vocational programs, mentoring programs and youth opportunities.
“I don’t think we have enough focus there,” White said. “I think passing this youth curfew let’s us off the hook for doing that work, which is critical for reducing juvenile crime.”
Council members will be looking to hear from the public as they decide the long-term future of D.C.’s youth curfew.
WTOP’s Will Vitka and Nick Iannelli contributed to this report.
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