DC residents, teens share thoughts on extending police curfew powers

As the D C Council gets ready to vote Tuesday on a plan to reinstate a summer crisis bill that allows for daily curfews for kids under chosen city residents are weighing in Related stories DC leaders consider reestablishing youth curfew zones permanently Curfew for teenagers now in effect at Navy Yard Very frustrating DC leaders urge council to adopt stricter curfew after rise in juvenile activity The proposal would allow for curfews to start as early as p m in targeted zones The curfew can last up to four days and be extended to days with additional orders from the mayor If passed the urgency bill would remain in effect for days and give the police chief authority to set curfew zones without waiting for Mayor Muriel Bowser s order One of the areas that s been targeted for curfews is the U Street Corridor Bob a D C resident who lives on Vermont Avenue stated I just don t see the curfew doing anything I think kids are more inclined to want to break it But not all are in favor of it A group of teens who reported they were all chimed in on the curfew plan YBGE reported he and his friends just want to have fun Come on it s fun over here at night It s the only time we can truly take good pictures YBGE revealed adding that he s not excited about the proposed curfew plan I do not appreciate the curfew here like if you all going to implement that he noted Eman agreed saying I think the curfew is kind of crazy As a kid you want to explore you want to go out Another teen part of the group Duke also thinks the curfew plan is unfair I feel like this curfew it s should be abolished because all of us we re all and you know we re trying to have a good time Duke stated The curfew would follow the same structure that the city saw over the summer a structure Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith stated worked This comes as a outcome of contemporary disorderly conduct by juveniles around the District since the urgency bill ended on Oct On Friday Oct hundreds of teens swarmed Navy Yard as they blocked an area around M and st streets leading to fights and arrests As a outcome Bowser imposed a limited juvenile curfew on Saturday Nov in response to a teen melee D C police commented they stopped curfew violators on the first night of the mayor s curfew Selected D C leaders want to keep the urgency curfews in place Source