The Council of the District of Columbia voted Nov. 4 to approve emergency legislation reinstating a youth curfew for 90 days. The curfew originally came into effect Nov. 7 after a series of incidents involving youth violence.
The law requires all people under the age of 18 to observe an 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and prohibits congregations in groups larger than eight after 8 p.m. The measure, which passed 9-4, reflects Washington, D.C.’s growing concern about youth crime and public safety following an incident in Navy Yard Oct. 31 where hundreds of teenagers broke out into fights, resulting in 10 arrests.
After the Oct. 31 incidents, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency, which gave the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) chief the authority to enact a youth curfew from Nov. 1 to 5. The recent vote was to extend the legislation for three more months.
Councilmember Wendell Feder (D-Ward 7), who voted in favor of the extension, said he supports it as a way to protect youth.
“As city leaders, we have a responsibility to protect our residents of all ages, and that includes making the best-informed decisions on behalf of our young folks,” Feder wrote to The Hoya. “I voted in favor of last week’s legislation to extend the emergency curfew because I am confident it will continue to keep our youth out of harm’s way.”
MPD will monitor streets to ensure compliance. Adults knowingly permitting children to violate the curfew can receive fines up to $500, and minors who break the curfew may have to complete up to 25 hours of community service.
Sienna Shah (CAS, McCourt ’29), who recently turned 18, said she is unsure if this policy is the best way to combat youth crime.
“It doesn’t really make sense because preventing people from gathering in groups doesn’t really change anything,” Shah told The Hoya.
The D.C. Council passed the Emergency Amendment Act July 7 in response to gatherings on U Street and in Navy Yard that resulted in youth violence. The act expanded the 1995 Juvenile Curfew Law to 17-year-olds and to weekend nights, which was associated with a decrease in youth crime.
Ward 2’s Democratic Councilmember Brooke Pinto (LAW ’17) said the summer’s legislation significantly reduced youth crime.
“Over the summer, we had seven juvenile curfew zones designated around the District and MPD had zero curfew violations and zero arrests — which is exactly how it was supposed to work,” Pinto wrote to The Hoya.
After the initial act’s Oct. 5 expiration, D.C. saw an increase in youth misconduct and violence, according to D.C. officials. The D.C. Council faced pressure from the mayor to renew the legislation, though opposing lawmakers delayed voting on the act because there had been no public hearing on the issue.
Kayna Aneja (MSB ’29), who has volunteered with youth in underprivileged communities, said the minors she worked with had no intention to be disruptive.
“The children I worked with didn’t want to make trouble, they just wanted more recreational activities to have fun and hangout with their friends,” Aneja told The Hoya.
Councilmember Trayon White Sr. (D-Ward 8), who voted against the legislation, said he was concerned a curfew would not effectively address the issues it aims to solve.
“Instead of focusing solely on enforcement, we should invest in safe and positive spaces for our young people to gather and grow,” White wrote to The Hoya. “At last week’s hearing, we heard directly from youth who told us what they need — more recreation, mentorship, and opportunities to just be kids in a safe way.”
Aneja said that in order to evaluate the extension’s effectiveness, the D.C. Council needs to closely monitor its impact.
“I think that every quarter or so the City Council should analyze if late-night crime rates are decreasing to see if the bill is working,” Aneja said.
The council members plan to implement supplemental programs to continue fighting crime in the District. The curfew bill represents an immediate response to a rise in misconduct.
White said a preventative measure will be more effective in solving the issue.
“I’ll continue working with Ward 8 neighbors, council colleagues and our agency partners to make sure we’re meeting our youth where they are — before there’s a problem — with love, structure and opportunity,” White wrote to The Hoya.
Shah said she would rather see programs that target the root cause of this issue.
“If I was still 17, I would prefer to have preventative measures to combat these issues,” Shah said. “I think the Council should include more sessions in school about crime and courses to avoid criminal activities by teaching them the consequences of their crimes.”
