In an effort to lower the skyrocketing rates of juvenile crime, teens in a violent county in Maryland will be prohibited from being on the streets between 10 pm and 5 am throughout the week, it was revealed on Monday.
According to Angela Alsobrooks, executive for Prince George’s County, which includes eastern Washington, DC, and the nearby suburbs, parents who repeatedly violate the law face fines of up to $250 and the possibility of having their kids handed over to the Department of Social Services.
I’ll simply say it like it is: Someone has to take responsibility for these armed and dangerous kids. Additionally, it involves more than just the government and the police, Alsobrooks noted.
We have kids doing these acts in our neighbourhoods between 3 and 4 in the morning.
“Neither a summer job nor a government programme will assist that,”
The youth curfew is based on existing legislation and was last implemented in 1995, but Alsobrooks said that the present situation called for its reinstatement.
Alsobrooks highlighted that there had been a “eye-popping” 430 juvenile arrests this year so far, which is almost twice as many as last year. There have also been 84 arrests of young people for carjackings, which is virtually the same amount as for the whole year of 2021.
Children under the age of 17 are required to be at home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The 30-day “cooling-off period,” as Alsobrooks referred to it, would begin immediately.
Any parent or guardian whose kid is out after curfew will be warned, and if they don’t react with information on their child, the youngster will be turned over to social services.
Teenage parents who let their children stay out beyond curfew and business owners who let them stay on the premises after curfew will be fined $50 for the first infraction, $100 for the second offence, and $250 for consecutive crimes.
She pointed out that with 24 murders being looked into by police in August alone, Prince George’s County had its worst month in decades.
After a decade of reduction, violent crime, such as killings, shootings, and carjackings, increased in 2020 and then again in 2021.
De’Andre Johnson, 15, of Washington, DC, became the latest victim on Saturday night. He was shot and murdered at 8 o’clock while he was shopping at a 7-Eleven in the Capitol Heights neighbourhood, about five miles from Capitol Hill.
Another 15-year-old was shot, along with two adults, and the adolescent is still in the hospital in a severe condition.
For information that results in the murderers’ capture, who the police think were intentionally targeting their victims, a $25,000 reward is being offered.
Everyone should be able to see that something is wrong, said Alsobrooks in reference to the “armed and dangerous” youngsters.
“We are continuing to detain the same juveniles and adults who are committing crimes in our neighbourhood.”
She argued that parents ought to be more accountable for their kids.
These youngsters, according to Alsobrooks, “need to be held responsible at this point—they don’t simply need a hug.”
Where are their parents, I know it’s not a popular thing to ask, but it’s true. Where are the aunts, uncles, and other members of the family that should be looking out for them?
We need family members to take charge and contribute.
She said she wants an urgent meeting with representatives from the court system and the Department of Juvenile Services to learn “how these youngsters are being held responsible.”
Additionally, she requested the state attorney’s office, courts, and police department to make statistics on arrests and case dispositions public since police continue to detain and re-detain repeat offenders, including both adults and children.
We have an issue with accountability in our county, to put it simply, said Alsobrooks.
“In order for us to effectively address this problem, our whole criminal justice system must take action, and full public disclosure is essential.”
The state attorney for Prince George’s County, Aisha Braveboy, said that the amount of young people conducting carjackings is “outrageous” and that the crime issue is at an all-time high.
Half of the 84 young people detained for carjacking were under the age of 15.
Braveboy said that her office was doing its duties.
Braveboy said that they had a 98 percent conviction record and that they “definitely hold criminals responsible for severe offences.”
However, she emphasised that recent changes to the law have had an influence on how juvenile cases are handled, including limiting the amount of time that a child may be detained and their rights during and after their trials.
We provide suggestions but do not have the ultimate word; we are a component of the legal system.
Prince George’s County Council President Calvin Hawkins said that he supported Alsobrooks’ “decisive action” on the juvenile curfew and proposed that the county council will use its oversight authority over the court system.
Who is permitting these people to re-enter our streets? Someone must inquire, he said.
Yes, we can agree that young Johnny and Lisa are wonderful people.
But this is enough if they continue to commit crimes that have a negative influence on the neighbourhood where we must reside.