After last weekend’s melee at National Harbor involving dozens of teenagers, the Prince George’s County Council is a step closer to passing emergency legislation that could be voted on next week, creating a targeted youth curfew.
The bill, which was approved by the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday and could be voted upon by the Council next week, would allow the county police chief to designate juvenile curfew zones at the request of nearby retail and commercial property owners.
Once the zones are established, people 17 and under will be prohibited from 11:59 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights until 5 a.m. the next morning. The curfew will begin at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
“We really need to get a handle on these teenagers — for the most part — who are just running wild in commercial areas,” Council Chair Jolene Ivey told WTOP, after Tuesday’s vote. “We cannot let these young people who are out of control, run out our commercial business.”
The bill was introduced by District 8 Council member Edward Burroughs.
“It is with no joy that I bring this bill forward, but I can assure you that there is an absolute need to make this emergency legislation,” he said during Tuesday’s council meeting. “I am concerned about the public health, safety and welfare at certain commercial zones in our county, particularly in my district.”
Under the bill, approved by the Committee of the Whole by a vote of 10-0-1, parents could be fined if their child were in a juvenile curfew zone without a specified exception. A first offense would result in a $50 fine, a second offense could cost $100 and a third offense would bring a $250 fine.
Ivey supports encouraging parental responsibility: “They need to keep a close eye on their kids, these days especially, to make sure they know where they are.”
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