UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Officers in a Maryland county close to the nation’s capital that has had its deadliest month in many years say they may strictly implement a curfew geared toward maintaining teenagers off the streets at evening.
WTOP-FM experiences that Prince George’s County Government Angela Alsobrooks made the announcement Monday throughout a Labor Day weekend by which a minimum of 4 folks had been killed by gun violence within the county, together with a 15-year-old from Washington, D.C., killed throughout a capturing at a comfort retailer Saturday evening. One other 15-year-old who was wounded in the identical capturing is in vital situation, and a child woman who was shot in an house in Glenn Dale stays hospitalized.
County police investigated 24 killings within the month of August alone.
Alsobrooks stated strict enforcement of the curfew will take impact beginning subsequent weekend and final for a minimum of the subsequent 30 days. The curfew requires teenagers beneath 17 to be off the streets between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday by means of Thursday, and between 11:59 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The curfew is allowed beneath present Maryland regulation.
Throughout a information convention, Alsobrooks pointed to an “eye-popping” 430 arrests of juveniles this 12 months — almost double the quantity final 12 months.
“At this level, these children don’t simply want a hug, they should be held accountable,” Alsobrooks stated. “I do know it’s not a well-liked factor to say, but it surely’s a good query: The place are their mother and father? The place are the aunties, the place are the uncles and different members of the family who’re answerable for them?”
The final time the youth curfew was strongly enforced was in 1995, however Alsobrooks stated present circumstances warrant bringing it again.
Even with the spike in killings in August, homicides within the county are down 15% in comparison with final 12 months, in response to county knowledge.
“However the reality of the matter is, we’re nonetheless seeing regarding ranges of crime” together with a spike in carjackings usually carried out by what she known as “armed and harmful kids.”
Of the 84 juveniles arrested for carjacking offenses this 12 months, 55 had prior arrests and 34 had prior arrests for a earlier violent crime or a gun offense, in response to Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz. He known as the variety of juveniles who’re being repeatedly arrested “deeply troubling.”
