There was mixed reaction to a curfew at National Harbor for children 16 and younger that went into effect on Friday at the popular waterfront boardwalk in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Delores, general manager at hot sauce purveyor Pepper Palace said she had heard about the melee that broke out at the waterfront last weekend involving hundreds of rowdy teenagers. While she agreed that too many teens are being dropped off in an area with too few kid-friendly attractions, she didn’t think the curfew and increased police presence at the Harbor to be a viable long-term solution.
“You have to fix the problem in the communities,” she told WTOP. “Have more community centers, recreation centers, things for these children to do or else they are going to get bored and act out.”
She also said there were fewer teens than usual in the area this weekend, but that may have been because of Saturday’s wet weather. The area was also packed that same day with adults enjoying the Washington Commander’s NFL Draft Party.
Jillita Bulluck, a frequent visitor to the National Harbor and a Prince George’s County resident, said her initial reaction to the emergency curfew was concern that it could be used for discriminatory profiling. However, considering the surge in crime in the DMV, she said she’s come around to the idea.
“We hate to keep the young folks out,” she said. “But if they are the ones causing the problems and they don’t have their parents and guardians around, then it’s the best thing.” She added: “They have to stay home until they learn how to act. Period. Dot.”
Jan Gibbs lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but has visited the National Harbor over the years. She told WTOP that while she and her husband haven’t seen any troublesome behavior, “because we’re old so we’re in bed by nine-thirty,” given the chaotic scene earlier this month, she thinks a curfew would be nice.
“Not that our young people are bad, but sometimes guidance and supervision help them make good decisions,” Gibbs said.
National Harbor sits on the banks of the Potomac River and features an iconic Ferris wheel along with restaurants, bars, and shops.
One woman sitting on a bench near the boardwalk told WTOP she supports tighter security at the waterfront attraction, but she wants police to monitor the behavior of teens from all backgrounds.
The curfew went into effect following a flurry of incidents involving teenagers at National Harbor. Most recently, a group of around 800 young people at the National Harbor were fighting, shoplifting, illegally smoking and engaging in other criminal behavior on Saturday, April 20, Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz said last week.
Days later, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks declared a state of emergency. It allows officials to enforce a youth curfew. Unaccompanied kids and teens who are 16 and younger aren’t allowed at National Harbor on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Alsobrooks said the youth curfew was being reinstated to control crime.
Alsobrooks’ order came after the Prince George’s County Council took action to address recent incidents at National Harbor. The Committee of the Whole passed an emergency bill Tuesday that would let the county police chief designate juvenile curfew zones, if requested by retail and commercial property owners.
If passed by the entire Council, it could become law by late next month.
