Maryland county implements 30-day CURFEW for children under 17 after ‘worst’ month of shootings

Teenagers in a Maryland county blighted by violence are to be banned from the streets between 10pm and 5am during the week, it was announced on Monday, in a bid to bring rocketing juvenile crime rates down.

Angela Alsobrooks, executive for Prince George’s County – which encompasses eastern Washington DC and the surrounding suburbs – said that parents could be fined up to $250 for repeated violations and children could be turned over to the Department of Social Services.

‘I’m just going to put it very bluntly: Somebody has got to take responsibility for these armed and dangerous children. And it’s not just the police and not just the government,’ said Alsobrooks. 

‘We have children who are out in our communities at 3 and 4 o’clock a.m. committing these crimes. 

‘No summer job or government program is going to help that.’ 

The youth curfew is based on an existing law, and was last brought in in 1995, but Alsobrooks said current circumstances warranted bringing it back.

Alsobrooks noted an ‘eye-popping’ 430 arrests of juveniles this year so far – nearly double the number last year – and 84 arrests of young people for carjackings – almost the same figure as for the entire 12 months of 2021.

Under the terms of the curfew, youngsters aged 17 or under must be home between 10pm and 5am on weekdays and Sundays, and midnight and 5am on Friday and Saturday nights.

The ‘cooling down period’, as Alsobrooks termed it, will run for 30 days.

A warning will be sent to the parents or guardians of any child out past curfew, and the child will be released to social services if the parent or guardian fails to respond regarding their child.

Parents of teens out past curfew, and owners of businesses allowing them on premise after curfew, will face a $50 fine for the first offense, $100 for a second offense and $250 for subsequent offenses.

She noted that Prince George’s County has marked its deadliest month in decades, with 24 killings investigated by police in August, alone.

Violent crime, including homicides, shootings and carjackings, spiked in 2020 and again in 2021 after a decade of decline.

On Saturday night 15-year-old De’Andre Johnson of Washington, DC became the latest victim – shot and killed at 8pm as he shopped at a 7-Eleven in the Capitol Heights district of the capital, only five miles from Capitol Hill.

Two adults and another 15-year-old were also shot, with the teenager remaining in hospital in a critical condition.

A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the killers, who police believe deliberately targeted their victims.

‘It ought to be clear to everyone that something is not working,’ Alsobrooks said, referencing ‘armed and dangerous’ children.

‘We are arresting and re-arresting the same children and adults who are committing crimes in our community.’

She said parents needed to take more responsibility for their children.

‘At this point, these kids don’t just need a hug, they need to be held accountable,’ Alsobrooks said.

‘I know it’s not a popular thing to say, but it’s a fair question: Where are their parents? Where are the aunties, where are the uncles and other family members who are responsible for them?

‘We need family members to step up and do their part.’

She said she is seeking an emergency meeting with the Department of Juvenile Services and officials in the court system to understand ‘how these kids are being held accountable.’

She also urged the state’s attorney office and courts and police department to release data on arrests and dispositions of cases, saying police are continuing to arrest and re-arrest repeat offenders, both adults and juveniles.

‘In short, we have an accountability problem in our county,’ Alsobrooks said.

‘We need our entire criminal justice system to act and full public transparency so that we can tackle this issue together.’

Aisha Braveboy, the state attorney for Prince George’s County, said the crime problem is at a crisis, and the number of young people committing carjackings is ‘outrageous.’

Of the 84 juvenile arrests for carjacking, half were under the age of 15.

But Braveboy insisted her office was doing its job.

‘We absolutely hold people accountable for serious crimes,’ Braveboy said, noting their 98 percent conviction rate.

She pointed out, however, that changes to the law in recent years have impacted how juvenile cases are handled, including restricting when a juvenile can be held and their rights during and after their trials.

‘We are a part of the justice system; we make recommendations, but we are not the final say.’

Calvin Hawkins, president of Prince George’s County Council, said he supports Alsobrooks’ ‘decisive action’ on the youth curfew and suggested the county council would exercise its oversight powers over the court system.

‘Somebody has to ask the question: Who is allowing these individuals to return to our streets?’ he said.

‘Yes, we can say little Johnny and little Lisa are so nice.

‘But if they’re perpetrating crimes that are impacting the community we have to live in, enough is enough.’